You Don't Know Her Like I Do
by funhog316
Summary: *Season 4 Spoilers* Frankie is determined to win the heart of the beautiful medical examiner. But when he does, life gets in their way and he soon learns the importance of fighting for the ones he loves. No matter the cost. Chapter 9 is rated M!
1. Chapter 1

**"You don't know her like I do**  
**You'll never understand**  
**You don't know we've been through**  
**That girl's my best friend**  
**And there's no way you're gonna help me**  
**She's the only one who can**  
**No, you don't know how much I've got to lose**  
**You don't know her like I do" -Brantley Gilbert**

Frankie Rizzoli couldn't help the smile that filled his face as he read and re-read the letter from the Lieutenant congratulating him on being promoted Detective at the end of the week. There would be a small ceremony and a celebration and finally, finally after years of being under his sister's shadow, he would be "one of them." He would be a detective like Jane, Frost and Korsack. He would be able to work alongside them, not for them or under them. He would be able to work closer with Maura now. Frankie paused at that one. Dr. Maura Isles. The beautiful, smart Medical Examiner who stole his heart and she didn't even know it. Her smile brightened his day, the way her laugh sent his heart over the moon. He loved it when she and Jane hung out so he could have an excuse to be near her without seeming creepy. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as the woman of his dreams filled his thoughts. They had been through hell and back together over the years they'd known each other. Between her parents, his parents, their jobs, the good and the bad… They had been there for all of it. Him, Maura, Jane, Frost and Korsack. They were a family. So was it wrong to have the feelings he had for Maura? But he couldn't help himself. He was a man after all. And she was a woman, a gorgeous woman who enchanted him every day. The way her mind worked, the way she talked nonsense medical gibberish to them (which he found incredibly adorable) the way she looked like the most breath taking woman to ever walk this earth, the level of commitment between her and Jane, the way she's grown from a somewhat cold, naïve Medical Examiner to the warm, sweet and caring friend she was to him and his family.

'A friend…' He mused to himself. If he had it his way Maura would be more than a friend to him. But it wasn't completely up to him. She wasn't even interested in him that way. She came from a wealthy upbringing, old East Coast money. He came from a family of Italian immigrants who made barely enough to get by. But he loved her. He loved that girl with everything he had and he would do his best to give her everything she deserved. But the simple fact that she wasn't even interested in him made his heart sink. But how wrong he was….

"Maura! Come on!" Jane whined at the front door. Maura sighed and took one last look at her reflection in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable. She knew Frankie Rizzoli would be at the parade today and even though she and Jane would be running there, she had to make sure her makeup and hair would be somewhat attractive. She knew it was in vain, Frankie didn't even think about her like that. But it didn't stop her from wanting him to think she was attractive. She sighed again as she brushed a strand of hair back from her face. It didn't help that she was stressed about her family. Again. It seemed like every time she thought they would be out of her life something happened; her father made a surprise appearance, her mother decided to visit the medical examiner's office, her half-sister needed a kidney transplant. But she never would've made it without the support of her friends. She smiled at the thought of how the Rizzoli's and Frost and Korsack and even Lieutenant had become a part of her closed life. She was slowly learning to open up and letting Angela be a mother figure, Korsack was like a father to her, Jane and Frost as siblings and Frankie…. Well, Frankie was a whole different story. He was the man she thought of most of her day. Her heart beat faster at the thought of the middle Rizzoli child. His soft brown eyes made her melt especially when he shot her that crooked half grin of his. She smiled softly as she absent mindedly twisted a piece of her hair between her fingers.

"Maura! Let's go! We're gonna be late!" Jane chastised as she interrupted her friend's daydreams. Maura jumped and stared at the floor guiltily. She grabbed an extra hair tie and followed her friend.

"Alright, alright!" she replied reluctantly. She stopped thinking about Frankie and grabbed her keys as she and Jane made their way out the door. They settled on a good jogging pace as they made their way downtown to the parade. The Senator and his daughter were to make an appearance and Angela was going to watch with TJ. They made their way through the streets of Boston jogging and talking amongst themselves.

"Are you calling me fat?" Maura demanded when Jane made her sarcastic comments. Jane cleverly avoided that but reassured her friend she wasn't. Maura was not amused. She knew she hasn't been easy to live or work with these past weeks but she had every right to be that way. She gave her kidney to Cailin and still hadn't heard back from her or Hope. 'At least I could get a fruit basket or something.' She thought bitterly as she and Jane approached Angela. Maura's heart jumped at the sight of Frankie in a leather jacket and a motorcycle. 'He looks good in that.' She thought wickedly. 'Kind of has a 'bad boy' streak to him.' She blushed at the thought but quickly pushed it from her mind as they approached. Frankie quietly moaned to himself as Maura jogged towards him and his mother. Her tight exercise clothes outlining her perfect curves. He tried to control his thoughts for the beautiful woman but seeing her flushed face and her slightly sweaty body jogging towards him, made it extremely difficult. Jane was the only one who knew he was expecting some sort of confirmation about becoming detective but he quickly shushed her, before she spilled his secret. He wanted to see Maura's reaction.

He glanced over at her and caught her staring at him. Maura couldn't help but notice the way his jeans settled on his hips and his shirt outlined his sculpted muscles. She blushed and looked away quickly but Frankie wasn't fooled. He knew in that moment she felt something for him too. He just didn't know what yet and wasn't going to push her but also wasn't going to forget the way her hazel eyes skimmed over his body. He puffed his chest out with pride that he, Frankie Rizzoli could make the lovely Maura Isles blush.

"Ok ok." Jane said, as she interrupted her mother. "Frankie has some news!" Frankie glanced over at Maura before delivering his news. "I'm being promoted to detective this Friday." He said. "That's why I have this motorcycle, I'm going undercover." Maura's face broke out into a smile as she watched Jane and Angela hug Frankie. She wanted to hug him so badly but she decided on a high five instead. Frankie let his eyes linger on her body as she high-fived him and walked past to inspect his new bike. Angela saw her son's eyes on Maura and she smiled slightly to herself but said nothing.

"Why don't you come over to my place and I can help you fix it up?" Maura offered politely. Frankie smiled softly as he accepted her invitation. The fact that Maura knew about cars and motorcycles turned him on more than he could imagine. He would do anything to spend more time with the beautiful doctor. They were discussing his new bike and making the most obnoxious noises but it was Jane who interrupted them.

"Hey, you two! Get a room! Preferably one that's sound proof!" she said, completely unaware of the thoughts running though both their heads. Maura blushed at the thoughts that came to mind when thinking about her and Frankie in a sound proof room. Frankie's mind went from PG to R in a matter of seconds as he thought of all the ways he and Maura could use a sound proof room. But before either could say or think of something witty, a shot rang out.

The Senator's daughter was dead.

Panic and chaos broke out through the entire downtown. All around them, people were screaming and running around. Frankie's first instinct was to grab Maura and cover her body with his, keeping her safe from any harm. He whispered softly in her ear, "Are you ok, Maura?" she nodded and he released her before anyone saw them. But the feel of her little body pressed against his was a feeling he wasn't going to forget so soon. All rationality left her as she stood dazed for a moment by the feeling of Frankie's strong arms wrapped around her. Maura stood alone looking around at the panicked people before jumping into action. She saw Frankie and Jane run off after the suspect and Angela flee for safety with TJ curled protectively in her arms.

She had time later to daydream about Frankie. Right now there was a case and a new murder to solve.


	2. Chapter 2

**In response to some of the reviews I received: If you don't like Frankie and Maura pairing: don't read it. It's that simple. But I do, I think they make a very cute couple. I don't see Jane and Maura as a couple as so many of the R&I fan base does, but I don't go onto your stories and bash them. I see Jane and Maura as two really great friends with good chemistry, as Janet Tamaro intends for them to be. They're not "lesbian lovers" as many people want to believe they are. But if you want to ship them, that is your prerogative just as shipping Frankie and Maura is my prerogative. I can handle constructive criticism, comments on how to improve my writing or such, but to comment just because you don't like the pairing… really, just don't read it if you don't agree with it. And to the people who DO like it: Thanks! You are who this story was meant for anyways! I hope you continue reading it and enjoy it! **

Maura impatiently brushed her honey blonde hair out of her way as she leaned over the dead body in her autopsy room. The summer heat was slowly getting to her, the smell of death and decay filling her nostrils. Straightening up, she shook out her hair and closed her eyes, taking a little break. She wished she had the motivation to finish her work but she was just not feeling it today. She sighed at that. Since when did she, Dr. Maura Isles, just not feel like doing an autopsy. But she knew exactly why. The stress of Hope and Cailin was gnawing at her. She should be satisfied that she saved her half-sister's life but for some reason she needed to know it wasn't a waste. She secretly hoped that they knew who she was, they were related. But if they didn't know or didn't want to know, it was just something she would have to accept. But she shook her head, dismissing that thought. 'Why is that so hard to accept? That they might not want anything to do with me?' she thought sadly. Maura sat down on her stool and held her head in her hands, hoping to understand this new side of her that wanted a relationship with her biological family. She was so caught up in her own misery; she didn't notice Frankie watching her silently in the doorway, his own misery written on his face.

Frankie had been watching Maura silently struggle with her family issues for the past couple weeks and it pained him that he didn't know how to be there for her. He hated seeing her so upset and wished he had the words to heal her broken heart. He wanted so badly to take her in his arms and hold her, protect her from all the hurts in the world. The thought of his Maura being hurt more just made him sad. She had been through so much in her life, it was unfair. As he stood over her, thinking about how he could help her, his phone rang. The shrill noise startled her and she looked up to see Frankie standing in the doorway.

"Yeah?" he answered his phone, shooting her an apologetic look before disappearing down the hallway. Maura flushed as she watched him walk away. Frankie Rizzoli was another major issue in her life. One that had been growing in her mind. The way he watched her, how he was quick to protect her, how he loved to make her laugh made her slowly realize the young detective-to-be had feelings for her. She smiled slightly as she thought of the feelings she had for him too. But he was Jane's brother and her friend and she was scared of messing things up between her and the Rizzoli's. They were the only family she had now, really. But she couldn't stop thinking about how his arms felt wrapped around her, his muscular chest crushing her as she protected her from the gun shots earlier today, the way his broad shoulders felt under her slender hands as she clung to him. Maura bit her lip as she felt her heart beginning to beat faster.

"You know, if you keep biting your lip like that, it'll leave little toothy imprints." Frankie teased. Maura smiled as he entered the room, his phone sliding back in his pocket. She turned back to her dead body trying to ignore Frankie and the growing feelings for him.

"Oh really? What scientific evidence do you have of that? I'm fairly certain that is NOT a fact." She challenged. She turned to find Frankie standing only inches away from her. Maura gasped as she felt the heat from his body cloud her senses. His cologne filled her nostrils, replacing the smell of death with a scent that was masculine and sexy and purely Frankie. He snaked his arm around her waist and gently tugged her closer to him, his eyes never leaving hers. She gulped audibly at the feel of his hard body pressed against her. Frankie nearly moaned as Maura's curves molded into his body, their breaths matching and heartbeats racing. The smell of her passion fruit shampoo immediately became his favorite smell. He watched her hazel eyes widen as they stood there in each other's arms. He slowly looked down to her plump lips, wanting to kiss them but stopped as he remembered the reason for him invading her personal space. He saw the toothy marks on her lips.

"I have evidence right here." He breathed on her lips as he slowly traced them with his finger. Maura stood perfectly still, never wanting it to end. She gazed up in his soft brown eyes, feeling self-conscious as he looked down adoringly at her. She slowly traced his firm muscles in his abdomen, exploring the rippling flesh. Frankie felt her curious hands on him and prayed to the heavens that he wasn't dreaming. That this in fact was happening. That Dr. Maura Isles, the woman he had been in love with for the past several years was here, in his arms and she was touching him. He gently but firmly gripped her hips, encouraging her exploration. Maura moved closer still and slowly slid her hands under his shirt, caressing him.

"Frankie." She whispered, unable to stop. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest but then so was his. He moaned as her fingernails made their way down to the waist of his jeans, slowly tracing the light trail of hair that led from his belly button heading south. Frankie tightened his grip on her hips and hoisted her up onto her desk, her long legs wrapping around his waist. She was quick to remove his leather jacket. Frankie allowed his hands to move over her thighs, caressing her slender body, pulling her towards him. He nearly came apart as he felt her lips on his. He kissed her back with such passion, sending her head spinning. They engulfed each other, exploring each other's bodies, moaning into each other's mouths. He explored her sweet mouth, tasting the green tea she must have drunk earlier. Maura nipped his lower lip and giggled, suddenly realizing what they were doing.

"There. Now you have toothy marks on your lips too." She murmured as her tongue darted out to soothe the little love bites. Frankie paused and rested his forehead on hers, both were panting and trying to come down from the ecstasy high. He smiled at his love, rejoicing when she smiled back at him.

"Maura. I've wanted this for so long." He whispered as he took her hands in his. "But not like this. The first time will not be quick on your desk. I want to take my time. Exploring you." He said as he kissed her neck. "I want to learn everything there is to know about you." His lips moved to her lips, capturing them again, kissing her slowly this time, letting her lips dance with his. Maura moaned and nodded, understanding what he was saying. She felt the same way. She unwrapped her legs from around his waist, and slid down so she was standing in front of him. She wobbled for a moment but Frankie's strong arms were there to catch her. He chuckled.

"Careful." He laughed. Maura grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I knew you would catch me." She told him.

Frankie's chest swelled at her words. "Always." He replied. He smiled like a fool in love when she nuzzled his neck. "We're not done with this right?" she asked almost uncertainly. Her large hazel eyes searched his for answers. She hoped and prayed Frankie wanted more than sex from her. He smiled at her and kissed her again.

"Maura, you know for being a doctor and all, sometimes you can be really dumb." He teased. Maura laughed out loud and punched him playfully in the chest. She rested her head on his chest and let his arms engulf her small frame.

"Come over tonight" she asked him. "I think we should talk about this or at least figure out what we want out of this." Maura said to him.

Frankie nodded and replied, "Yeah, you're right. There's a lot we need to think about: Jane, the team, our parents, our jobs…" he sighed as reality struck the pair. The sound of footsteps coming toward the room broke them apart. Neither wanted others to know until they figured out their relationship for themselves. Frankie ducked behind the door to Maura's office. She nodded her understanding but before Frankie left, he quickly kissed Maura one last time, letting her know they weren't finished and he wasn't running away.

"I'll see you tonight, sweetheart." He murmured before disappearing. Maura stood there speechless as she watched him leave. A soft smile crept on her face but it disappeared as Korsack, Frost and Jane came barging through her door. She sighed as she mentally prepared herself for the rest of her day; her only saving grace was the knowledge that she and Frankie were finally going to figure out something between them.

She only hoped it worked out for everyone…


	3. Chapter 3

Jane carefully folded her folder after signing off on the file. She sighed as she added it to the mountain of paperwork on her desk. Looking at her watch she noted the time and moved to pick up her jacket and head down to autopsy to pick up Maura. They were supposed to go running after work. Jane made her way down to see her friend when laughter coming from the medical examiner's office made her pause. She heard Maura giggle and squeal which made Jane even more curious. Dr. Isles did not giggle like a little school girl…..

The sound of male, husky laughter joined hers and Jane slowly drew her gun and tip toed down the hallway. 'Just in case.' She thought to herself. She peered around the half-opened door to see her best friend sitting atop her desk, her arms around the neck of a dark haired man. A dark haired man who looked oddly familiar.

'Frankie!' Jane almost gasped aloud as it dawned on her that her baby brother was currently leaving kisses all down Dr. Isles' neck, his hands circling her tiny waist. Never in a million years did she think her wealthy, sophisticated friend would fall for her blue collared, baby brother. She slowly put her gun away, keeping out of sight of the two lovers. It had been while since she saw Maura genuinely happy these days. But watching her in Frankie's arms, she could see the light back in her eyes, her smiled not forced but took over her face like a sunflower in summer, bright and alive. Jane observed the way Frankie's eyes never left hers, a goofy love-sick grin on his faced as he allowed Maura to mess up his hair, causing her to laugh at him.

Jane silently made her way back to her own desk, not wanting to interrupt. She frowned as she thought of her best friend with her brother. Is this ok with her? She knew no matter what she thought, it was their decision. But why didn't they tell her? Or anyone, for that matter? Jane decided to just send Maura a text asking if she still wanted to run tonight, so that gives her the option of staying with Frankie if she wanted. Locking up her desk drawer, she made her way home.

"Frankie…" Maura giggled as he softly tickled her sides. She grabbed his head in her hands and kissed him, fiercely, making his knees weak. Her hair framed her face, the scent of her perfume invading his senses. Frankie broke the kiss to take a deep breath. He looked down at the gorgeous woman in his arms and sighed happily. Maura was slowly becoming the breath of fresh air he'd been looking for. The kind of woman who, even on the toughest days, made everything seem right. She made him want to be a better man, motivated him to be the best he could be. The way she looked at him, her hazel eyes shining in adoration, filled him with a sense of pride. This breath-taking woman, so smart and classy, the woman every other man in the Police building desired and lusted after, chose him. She wanted him and that simple fact sent him over the moon.

He was about to tell her what was on his mind when her phone beeped. Maura frowned and turned in Frankie's arms to reach her phone. "I hope it's nothing important." She muttered as she checked her messages. Frankie was hoping for the same thing, the two of them had big plans. "Is everything ok?" he asked her, noting the look of dilemma on her face.

"Jane wants to run tonight. I completely forgot I asked her to do that with me tonight." She said apologetically. But Frankie understood. He knew Maura was in a vulnerable state right now and she needed her best friend. He released his grip around her waist and took her hand, helping her onto her feet.

"It's ok, babe." He told her. "I understand and I can come over later if you still wanted." He said uncertainty, not knowing whether or not she still wanted him over. Maura nodded vigorously.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him before pulling back to gaze up at him. "I really do like you a lot Frankie and I definitely want us to figure all this out. I'm afraid of messing this up with you." She confessed.

Frankie's eyes softened and placed a gentle kiss on her freckled nose. "You could never mess this up. I've waited so long to be able to call you mine and I sure as hell am not gonna let anything happen to us. I think we should talk tonight when you get back from your run and we'll discuss it further." He said as he reluctantly let go of her. Maura smiled at him before turning to pick up her bags.

"Walk me out?" she asked him, shooting him a smile. Frankie grinned back and took her heavy bags from her, and followed the doctor out to her car, trailing her like a little puppy in love.

"All I'm saying is that the Red Sox should've won that game!" Detective Korsack argued as he and Frost made their way to their cars. The two were constantly bickering like an old married couple and tonight was no exception. Frost shook his head at the older man.

"No way! The Sox are the worst!" he argued.

"How can you say that? You live in Boston!" Korsack exclaimed, genuinely confused by Frost, who just laughed aloud.

"Just because I live here doesn't mean I have to support their team!" he explained, still laughing at the older detective's look of outrage. "Why? Is that why you support them?" he teased.

"No!" Korsack was about to explain further when he stopped short. Looking out towards the parking lot to see what had drawn the man's attention, Frost froze at the sight of Dr. Isles leaning against her car and Frankie Rizzoli kissing her passionately.

"What-" Frost started but held his tongue as the pair watched the young couple. Frankie took Maura's hands in his and rested them on his chest, slowly letting his hands travel down her arms, tangling them in her long, luscious locks as they kissed goodbye. Korsack held his breath as he watched the young woman he thought of as a daughter fall in love with the young detective-to-be.

"Did you know this was a thing?" Frost whispered. Korsack shook his head slowly. They watched Maura and Frankie stepped apart and he helped her into her car, giving her one last good bye kiss. They shared words that the two detectives couldn't hear, but they assumed whatever was said made Maura happy as she laughed, her face breaking out into a happy grin. It was good to see the doctor smile again. Frankie took special care to make sure she was completely in the car before watching her drive away. He put his hands in his pockets and walked away, whistling away, his eyes bright and happy, the look of a man head over heels in love.

Korsack turned and looked back to Frost. "Ummmm…" he was unsure of what should be said to the sight they witnessed. Dr. Isles who was the most sophisticated, upper class woman they had met, had gone and fallen in love with a blue collar, below average salaried police officer…? It didn't make sense to either of them. Then again, you don't chose who you fall in love with.

"Should we tell Jane?" Frost asked after a minute. Korsack thought for a moment before responding.

"No. Did you see the look of happiness on their faces? When was the last time we saw Dr. Isles that happy? She needs this right now. Jane will find out soon enough." Korsack stated, trying to protect and preserve Maura's happiness.

Frost nodded in understanding before adding, "So… you think they've done the nasty? You think Frankie's gotten to see her naked yet?" Korsack turned and smacked the back of his head. "Perv." He shook his head before walking away. Frost chuckled and followed after him. It was no secret that Dr. Isles was the most beautiful woman working in the Boston Police Department and has been the topic of discussion in the men's locker room, more than once.

Jane was nervous as she and Maura jogged through the streets of Boston. 'Should I say something?' she wondered. But looking over at her friend, she knew she couldn't spoil her happiness. Even though Jane wanted to gag at the thought of her friend being attracted to her brother, she vowed she wouldn't be the one to ruin their happiness. She tried to think of all the good things that could out of this. 'Maybe he'll teach her how to pay baseball and basketball properly.' She mused to herself as they reached the top of the hill.

Maura looked over at Jane to see her deep in thought. She was about to ask her what was on her mind but decided against it. The silence was nice and it gave her time to think about Frankie and be honest with herself about what she truly wanted out of their relationship. She could feel herself slowly becoming addicted to the taste of his kiss, his intense gaze that left her weak at the knees, his funny goofy sense of humor that never failed to make her laugh. She never felt so alive. She had always kept a rational mind when it came to men. But Frankie made everything irrational and it scared her but she knew he would never hurt her. She trusted him and knew if she was scared he would be there for her every step of the way. Her feelings for this man were taking over her mind, body and everything in between. She only hoped he felt it too.

Jane and Maura slowed their pace as they turned onto Jane's street corner. They slowed it down to a walk and made light conversation till they neared her apartment when they noticed a man standing outside her door.

"Who is that?" Jane wondered aloud as she tried to get a good angle of him. Maura panicked and ducked behind the bush.

"I forgot my pepper spray!" she explained. Jane rolled her eyes.

"I think… is that… it's Casey!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen him in months!" Maura saw the look of excitement on her friend's face as they jogged over to him.

"Casey!" Jane called. They stopped as they both noticed Casey had surgery on his leg. "Wow!" Maura said excitedly. "I thought you couldn't walk anymore1 I can't believe this!" she said as she inspected his leg.

"I almost can't believe it." He laughed, his eyes focused on Jane who was in stunned silence. This changed everything. Maura could sense the sexual tension and wanting to get home to call Frankie, decided to make a quick getaway. But first she was gonna help her friend out.

"So, how's everything sexually speaking?" she said bluntly. Jane's eyes widened and looked like she wanted to either strangle Maura or sink into the floor. "Dr. Isles! He is not one of your patients!" Jane reprimanded, trying her best to sound like her mother.

Maura smiled apologetically although inside she was giving herself a high five. She quickly excused herself but not before saying her good byes and reassuring Jane she didn't need to walk her home. She needed to get ready for Frankie.

She left the couple standing awkwardly in front of Jane's apartment and jogged back to her place. She stopped short when she saw Frankie leaning against his car waiting for her. She grinned at the sight and ran into his arms.

"I kinda missed you." He teased as he captured her lips in his. Maura huffed and bit his lip playfully. "Just kinda?" she questioned. Frankie grinned and picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he brought her up the apartment stairs. He set her down so she could get her keys out. "Ok, I missed you like crazy." He confessed as she pulled him inside. Angela was out for the night so Maura wasn't worried about anyone walking in on them. She had a feeling Jane was going to be busy for the rest of the night.

Maura went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and offered one for Frankie. She felt the sparks fly when their hands touched. "Thank you." He whispered.

"Frankie, I want this." She began before his smile got to her and ended up kissing him instead of having their talk. "I want us to work out but we need to figure out what we're doing. And what about Jane and the team? And your mother? What will she think?" Maura asked him, her eyes widening at the thought of losing the Rizzoli's as friends. But Frankie's gentle smile calmed her as he tugged her into his arms.

"I want this too, Maura. You're the only woman I want in my life and I've wanted to be with you for so long. We can keep it from the team till you're ready but I want to tell them eventually. I'm so happy with you and where we're going and I don't know how long I'm going to be able to keep it in." he admitted as he stroked her back. Maura pulled him down for a kiss and whispered, "I know, I want to tell them soon but for now can we just share this, just the two of us?" she pleaded. Frankie nodded and hugged her little body tightly. "What we have is ours. They can question it and judge or accept it and be happy for us. Either way, I want you badly and I'm not ready to give you up so easily." He held her before kissing her once again.

Maura moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their tongues battled and danced as the two lovers shared their moment. Frankie sighed happily in her mouth; this is where he belonged. With this beautiful woman with whom he was falling rapidly in love with. Maura surprised him by sneaking her hands in his shirt. The feel of her hands crawling up his back had him turned on in an instant. He quickly pulled back to unzip her jacket and find some skin to explore. Her taut stomach seemed like a good place to start. She whimpered as his body pressed hers into the counter. He picked her up easily and set her down on the kitchen counter. Maura licked her lips in anticipation. Helping Frankie get rid of his shirt, she moved to remove her own. Frankie's eyes traveled over her body, his fingers aching to touch that soft skin.

Maura sensed his hesitation and reached for him, placing one hand on her hip, the other interlacing with her own. She played with the faint hair on his chest and moved her legs up further to bring him closer. Giggling, she left open mouthed kisses on his chest. Frankie groaned as her tongue flicked over his nipple and shuddered as she blew cold air over it.

"Damn." He whispered before removing her sports bra. Maura immediately felt the cold air hit her but was warmed by the look of awe she was receiving from Frankie. His eyes worshiped her body before gathering her in his arms, their topless bodies pressed tightly against each other.

"You're breath taking." He told her as he held her against him. Maura smiled gently and turned her head to kiss his neck. "So are you." She sighed as her eyes swept over his body. The muscles rippling and moving as he moved, was hypnotizing to her. She traced over the broad shoulders and hung on as he swooped down to leave a trail of kisses down to her breasts. Maura cried out as he took her nipple in her mouth, sucking firmly. She arched her hips and squeezed his hips with her legs, the sensations of his mouth doing spectacular things to her. Frankie moaned and turned to switch breasts.

Angela Rizzoli and Lieutenant Cavanaugh laughed amongst themselves as they headed up the steps to Maura's home. "She said she was going on a run with Jane so she probably won't be home." Angela explained as she and the Lieutenant walked through the door. Closing the door behind them, the pair made their way to the kitchen only to be greeted by quite a sight.

A topless Frankie leaning over Maura's naked torso, her head tilted back, his mouth fused to her breast, one hand massaging the one not in his mouth. Maura's hands leaving scratch marks down his back as he pleasured her, both had their eyes closed and lost in each other that they didn't notice his mother and the Lieutenant standing there, mouths open in shock.

Lieutenant Cavanaugh was the first to jump into action and grabbed Angela by the elbow and dragged her out of the house. "I don't think she's running with Rizzoli anymore…" he whispered as he ushered a stunned Angela out the door. Angela couldn't even speak words; she was so taken back by what she had just seen.

"My son… Maura… naked… sex? Are they…? Since when?! Does this mean? ….. Did you know about this?" she turned to Lieutenant Cavanaugh who backed away from the woman.

"No! I had no idea, this is certainly news to me." He reasoned with her. And it was the truth, he had no idea his soon-to-be detective was banging the medical examiner.

Angela accepted his answer and cleared her throat. "Well we certainly can't go back in there." She said. Cavanaugh shook his head and replied, "Well there's always my place." Angela nodded and took his arm, the two of them getting back into the car and leaving. Her mind was spinning by what she saw between her son and her friend. But she had time tomorrow to worry about them. For now, she had a hungry Lieutenant she promised dinner to.

Later that night, Maura and Frankie laid in her bed, their naked sweaty bodies pressed together, the sheets wrapped around them. Maura was drawing little circles on his chest as he caressed her soft, silky back. Both of them completely oblivious to the fact that Frankie's mother had seen them half naked only several hours earlier.

Maura listened to the strong beat of Frankie's heart as she closed her eyes. She was exhausted and wanting to sleep. Frankie turned over and pulled her body into his chest and felt her relax against him.

"Good night, my love." He whispered. He felt her smile against his chest as she replied with a good night to him. Her last thought before drifting off to sleep was how they were going to tell the others.

Little did they know all their friends already knew…

**Thanks for all the reviews and messages everybody! Your words of encouragement are awesome and appreciated **** don't worry, this whole story isn't just a fluffy romantic one, there will be some troubles, hurt, fights and drama ( and possibly some guest characters from Seasons 1, 2 or 3…!) hope you're enjoying it so far though! **


	4. Chapter 4

Frankie yawned and squinted as the morning sun shone in his eyes. He felt a familiar head laying on his chest and looked down to find Dr. Maura Isles sprawled out on top of him, her honey blonde hair tangled from last night's escapades. He grinned slowly as the events of the previous night came to mind. Maura underneath him, their combined voices of pleasure filling the room, her long hair caressing his face while she leaned over him to leave sweet kisses over his neck. He lightly touched his neck to feel a small bruise beginning to form and his face broke out in a huge grin. The ever so sophisticated Dr. Isles left a hickey on his neck….

Maura stirred as she felt Frankie wake up. She smiled into his chest, his masculine scent surrounding her. She sat up slightly, taking in his disheveled hair and lazy smile on his face. She moved up and kissed him, bringing his face down to hers.

"Good morning." She whispered, sitting up so she was straddling his hips. Frankie stroked her sides, trailing his fingers across her thighs.

"Good morning to you too, beautiful." He told her as his eyes took in the gorgeous woman sitting astride him. Her tangled hair fell in waves down her shoulders and back, the look of a satisfied woman spread over her face. Upon closer investigation, he noticed a dark hickey left under her ear. 'That's right, now everyone will know Maura is taken.' He thought possessively.

Maura stretched and yawned, before looking down at Frankie and smiled. "Do you want some breakfast before we have to go to work?" she was excited to finally have someone to make meals for. But Frankie knew there was a chance his mother might walk in on them having breakfast so he suggested getting some breakfast out. Maura nodded and agreed it would be best. Neither were ready for their friends and family to know about them yet.

They got ready, left and when to a local little café for breakfast. Frankie wrapped his arm around Maura's waist while they waited in line. She lean back into his embrace and turned around, facing him. "So when we're at work how are we going to act?" she pondered. "I mean, we can't be caught kissing in the middle of the office." She decided. He nodded his agreement and stroked her long, soft ringlets of blonde hair. "We'll just have to be careful not to get caught." He said mischievously. "We could always just make out in the supply closet." He teased, expecting Maura to wrinkle her nose at a suggestion so taboo and forbidden. But to his surprise, she blushed and looked up at him through hooded eyes. Her hazel eyes twinkled exotically at him. Frankie gulped.

"You mean… you wouldn't mind making out in the supply closet with me..?" he teasingly grinned at her. Maura stepped up on her tippy toes to whisper in his ear, "I can't deny it's been a fantasy of mine." She told him softly, allowing her nose to brush the sensitive skin under his ear. Frankie's jaw went slack and he stood there in a stupor as she turned back to the counter to make their order, leaving the Officer standing behind her in awed silence. 'That girl is going to be the death of me.' He thought to himself as she took his hand, leading him out of the café.

As they neared the Police Department, the couple decided to go in separately so Maura went to get one more cup of coffee at the cafeteria while Frankie headed up to his desk. She was filling her cup when Angela came up behind her. Angela and Cavanaugh hadn't spoken about what they had witnessed between the doctor and her son but she was determined to get some sort of information out of Maura. It would be very easy to manipulate the naïve doctor into spilling some clues.

"So how was your night?" she started, making polite conversation. Maura swallowed her coffee. "It was good!" she said a little too over excitedly. "How was yours?" she responded, keeping up the small talk.

"Oh it was good. Shawn and I decided to go back to his place. To drink coffee." Angela added, not wanting Maura to think she and Cavanaugh were sleeping together, even though they were.

Maura smiled and nodded "Oh don't worry I won't tell Jane." She told her friend's mom. She hoped Angela didn't ask about her night, she really didn't want to lie to her and have to walk around with hives the rest of the day.

"So how was your night? Jane wasn't answering her phone all night, so I assumed she and you were staying up late again, watching movies or something?" Maura bit the inside of her cheek nervously.

"No, I believe she didn't answer her phone because she and I ran into Casey last night after our run." She told her very matter-of-factly, trying to get the older woman's focus off her and instead on her daughter. It worked as Angela's eyes widened and a look of motherhood glee filled her face. Maura cringed as she threw her best friend under the bus, but she really didn't want Angela to know that she spent the night having mind-blowing sex with her oldest son.

To her relief, Angela had other customers waiting on her and went to go help them, leaving the chief examiner to her own devices. Maura refilled her coffee cup and headed down to her autopsy room. She entered her office to find Jane hanging upside down on her inversion table.

"You're supposed to change it according to your height." She corrected her friend. Jane and Maura spent next hour agreeing and discussing everything from Casey to the case to blueberry pancakes to their mothers to which was better: the Beatles or the Ramones. This is how a typical morning went between the two friends.

When Frost and Korsak came down to interrupt the girls, they decided to go get lunch and leave the case for a while. They'd come back with fresh eyes. Maura checked her phone to find a text from Frankie. She smiled at its contents, a short sweet text telling her he was thinking about her and hoping she was having a good day. She replied back quickly before Jane could question her sudden grin.

They turned the corner and found Frankie walking towards them. The two lovers immediately locked eyes. "Hi Maura." Frankie said to her, his fingers itching to reach out and touch her glowing skin. Maura smiled politely. "Hi Frankie." She said back to him, her hazel eyes full of love towards Frankie. Frost and Korsak exchanged a look between the two. Neither had mentioned to anyone what they saw in the parking garage. Jane raised her eyebrow but didn't say anything. Frankie handed a paper to Jane, "These are the restaurants in the area that serve blueberry pancakes. I had to call 368 different restaurants so you better be happy." He told his sister. Jane rolled her eyes.

"This is what you do when you're a detective. You detect." Jane said sarcastically. Maura leaned forward, "We're very grateful for all your hard work, Frankie." She interjected. Frankie smiled at her. "Thank you, Dr. Isles."

"See?" he jabbed at his sister. "At least someone is grateful."

"Oh, I'm sure she is." Jane muttered under her breath so no one could her. But Frost and Korsak heard and tried to hide their laughter. The three of them would have to get together and discuss their "notes" on the relationship growing between Frankie Rizzoli and Maura Isles and that the two of them were completely oblivious to the fact that everyone knew about them. But right now they had a new lead.

"Come on Maura. We're going to go get blueberry pancakes." Jane bossed Maura around. Maura just frowned.

"But Jane we already ate breakfast." She argued.

Jane paused. "We…?" Korsak smirked as he picked up on what just happened. Dr. Isles just admitted to the fact that she had breakfast with someone else this morning. Maura cringed as she felt her neck begin to swell with the thought of getting hives the rest of the day.

"Yes…" she said slowly. "Your mother and I ate blueberry waffles today for breakfast." She lied. Jane, Frost and Korsak looked at Maura in amusement. The cop in all of them could tell immediately that she was lying. "I hope you break out in hives." Jane said to her as she dragged Maura by the hand, leading her to the car. They were going to go check out this restaurant leaving the other two detectives to go get their own lunch by themselves.

Later that evening, Maura laid on her couch, Frankie's head resting on her lap. "I just need to be more careful." She sighed. She hated not being able to share her new love life with her best friend and family. Frankie reached up to brush her hair behind her ear.

"We both have to be more careful" he admitted. "You have no idea how many times I wanted so badly to kiss you today." He said as he sat up, pulling her petite body into his lap. Maura shifted so she was straddling him. She bent her head to kiss him.

"Oh really? Well now you can kiss me all you want." She said softly against his mouth. Frankie moaned and pulled her closer so her breasts were pressed to his chest, her long hair falling over their faces. Their lips danced and molded against each other's. Maura's hands ran through his hair, loving the feel of his black hair under her fingers, her hips rolling softly against his. Frankie was about to pull her shirt off when they heard the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat, behind them.

Maura squeaked and jumped off Frankie's lap and they both bolted up off the sofa and turned to meet the intense glare of Angela Rizzoli.

"Ma… Hi, how're you doing?" Frankie managed to get out. Maura bit her lips so hard she tasted blood. She wasn't sure how Angela was going to take to her and Frankie being together especially with how she found them on her couch. The two felt like a pair of teenagers who were just caught making out by their parents. Well, this was sort of like that…

"So, what is going on? Are you two, like together now?" Angela didn't want to bring up their relationship to them but when she came in to put her dinner dishes away and saw Maura straddling her son on the couch, the two lovers just one step away from getting naked she couldn't hold it in any longer. Inside she was secretly thrilled that her son chose the gorgeous, smart doctor but she had to know that Maura wasn't just playing him. That woman could have any man she wanted; she was classy and sophisticated and upper class so what was she doing with Frankie?

Maura could tell what Angela was thinking so she spoke up first. "Angela, I love him. Frankie is the man of my dreams. He's sweet and smart and has completely stolen my heart. He's all I think about, all I want. He makes me feel alive and for someone who's surrounded by death, feeling alive like this for the first time in my life is the most amazing feeling." She explained as she took Frankie's hands in hers. "You raised him to be an amazing man."

Frankie pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. "I love her too, Ma. I know we're just starting out but I really want this to work. I am crazy for this woman, everything about her mesmerizes me, enchants me." He told his mother, even though his eyes never left Maura's. "You are so perfect to me." He whispered to her, forgetting that his mom was standing right in from of them, watching the young couple closely. She watched as her son fell in love with the beautiful doctor, the look of complete adoration from Maura's eyes haunted Angela. It was same look she gave Frank Sr. for so many years. Frankie and Maura were in love and Angela knew she couldn't pull them apart.

"Well, I did always want a doctor in the family…" she said before smiling wide at her "kids" and held her arms open to them. Frankie and Maura let themselves be engulfed in the motherly hug. "You're great kids, you know that?" she told them as she hugged Maura and Frankie. "Don't you break his heart." She told Maura. She turned to her son "And you! Don't you hurt her! This girl has gone through enough pain in her life!" she threatened Frankie.

After promising Angela they weren't planning on hurting each other, the three of them sat down with a bottle of one of Maura's finest wines and talked the night away. They laughed as Angela told Maura stories about Frankie, Jane and Tommy as kids and their embarrassing childhood memories. "You know if Jane were here, she'd strangle you for showing her that!" Frankie laughed as Angela and Maura sat in a fit of giggles over Jane's ballerina costume.

"Oh my goodness, she's adorable!" Maura burst out laughing at an 8 year old Jane Rizzoli in a pink tutu and butterfly wings. "And here's Frankie as a cowboy!" Angela laughed as she showed Maura a picture of Frankie all spurred up, cowboy hat and all.

"Ma!" Frankie protested but the girls were having too much fun. Even though he acted like he disapproved of the girls antics, he was secretly enjoying himself. Seeing his mother and his girlfriend laugh together was a special sight to him. The light shown in Maura's eyes and her laughter warmed his heart. After seeing her mope and pout over her biological mother and Cailin for the past couple months, it was good to see her happy again. And he vowed to make sure he kept her happy for the rest of their lives together.

The three of them were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. "I'll get it" Maura said as she got up to answer her door. Frankie got up to get more wine to refill his mother's and Maura's glass.

Maura opened the door and her heart immediately stopped in her chest.

"Hello gorgeous."

Maura froze at the sight of the man she once described to Jane as the "love of her life." The fugitive she helped by ordering him supplies to take back to the sick kids in Africa.

"Ian…" she whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ian…" Maura whispered, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the door in a death grip.

'No, no, no! This can't be happening.' Her mind was spinning with thoughts. 'Just as Frankie and I are starting to be a couple, Ian has to show up!' she clenched her jaw and cleared her throat before answering the attractive man she once loved more than anything. But it wasn't the same anymore. She didn't love Ian, not the way she loved Frankie. Maura knew who she wanted; it was just going to be a very awkward conversation between her, Ian and Frankie. Frankie and Maura hadn't gone into intimate details about their previous lovers. Of course, he knew of Ian. But he didn't know everything about their past and whether Maura was ready for him to know or not, Ian was here and their past was going to come out soon enough.

"Maura? Who is it?" Frankie asked as he rounded the corner with her glass of wine in hand. Ian looked from Maura to Frankie and back to Maura.

"I apologize. I should have called. I didn't realize you had guests over, Maura." He said smoothly. Frankie recognized the doctor as one of Maura's ex-boyfriends.

"Oh. Hi." Frankie said, less than thrilled to see the charming doctor. It made him even more uncomfortable the way Ian was looking Maura up and down. Maura cleared her throat again and moved aside.

"Frankie, this is Ian. Ian this is my boyfriend, Frankie." Maura introduced the two men. Ian reached out his hand and Frankie took it. "Yes, I've heard of you." He said dryly as he squeezed Ian's had harder than he should, his eyes never leaving his, a clear message to Ian that Frankie was the man in Maura's life now. But Ian rose to the challenge, squeezing back, letting Frankie now that he wasn't going down without a fight. Maura noticed the silent fight between the two men and laid a hand on Frankie's back soothingly.

"Stop it!" She commanded to both men. The last thing she needed was Frankie and Ian getting in a fight in her house.

Angela rounded the corner, saw Ian and Frankie in a silent stand off and gritted her teeth. She knew bits and pieces of Ian's last visit and Maura's feeling for him. But she knew this would be the first test of Frankie and Maura's love. Did the young doctor love her son enough to stay with him? Or was she going to let herself be swept away again by the handsome older doctor?

"Frankie, come help me in the kitchen!" Angela called, coming to Maura's aid to break up their little fight. Frankie let go of Ian's hand, but shot him a warning look that clearly stated that he had his eyes on him and to keep away from his Maura.

Maura took noticed of both men's hands burning red from the death grip they had on each other and mentally kicked herself for not letting Ian know sooner that she was unavailable now. But her time with Frankie was so new and exciting, and she never knew when Ian was going to be back from Africa so the thought didn't even occur to her. She motioned for him to come inside.

"So you're with someone? Or is he a friend?" Ian asked her quietly. Maura shook her head.

"Ian, I love Frankie. We're just starting something and you being here is the last thing I need. You should've called." She said almost accusingly. Ian took her hands in his.

Maura, sweetheart. You know I never know when I'm going to be in town." He tried to reason with her. Maura took her hands out of his and shook her head at him. "Ian! Stop! Did you not hear what I just said to you? I am trying to be in a committed relationship with Frankie. I love him. You can't just show up and think you can call me 'sweetheart' and hold my hands." She explained to him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Frankie in the kitchen trying very hard to give them some privacy.

"I'm sorry, but I thought we had something…" Ian tried again. "I know the last time I was in town, it was less than smooth with your friend, Jane but I was thinking we should give us a real try. I am moving back to Boston. I want to be with you." He added, looking deep into her eyes. Maura closed her eyes against Ian's words. How many times did she long to hear those words come from him in the past?

"Ian, I can't. I'm in love with Frankie. You need to leave." she whispered, her heart breaking. Ian took one look at Frankie and Angela eavesdropping in the kitchen and back at Maura. He heard what she said but didn't accept it. His Maura would never fall for some lowly, street cop. Didn't she see he was a better fit for her? "We're not finished, I'm not giving up." He told her as he leaned over to kiss her cheek, looking back at Frankie to make sure he was watching. Jealously bubbled up in Frankie's chest as he watched the scene.

Ian left and Maura closed the door behind him silently, her thoughts and emotions going on overboard. The man she once loved more than anything but fate kept them apart was now ready to make his move. But she moved on and was head over heels for Frankie. He was the man she loved now; she moved on. But that didn't stop the hurt and anger she was feeling inside.

"Maura…?" Frankie said softly as he reached for her. But to his surprise, she pulled away. "Frankie, I just need to be alone right now." She explained. She saw the hurt and pain in his eyes and immediately felt awful. She took his hand and interlaced their fingers and wrapped an arm around his neck. "I'm not mad or anything. I just need some time to myself." She told him, looking into his eyes so he could see the truth shining back at him. "I love you, Frankie Rizzoli." She whispered before kissing him softly.

He nodded slowly and released her, his insecurities coming out; the hurt and pain reflecting back in his eyes. He watched her walk towards her bedroom and close the door, closing him out.

Angela walked over to her son. She witnessed the whole scene and knew deep down Maura loved Frankie but was fighting her feelings for Ian. She understood her situation but that didn't stop her from feeling a bit of disappointment that something, or rather someone, was trying to come between Frankie and Maura's happiness.

"Come on Frankie, you want a glass of chocolate milk?" her maternal instincts coming out to comfort her baby boy. Frankie nodded, willing to agree to almost anything as long as it made the hurt go away. Maura said she loved him and yes, she sent Ian away but that didn't stop him from thinking about the way Ian looked at Maura; like she was his world. Did she still love Ian? He saw the tears in her eyes when she sent him away and Frankie wished he could comfort her, kiss her tears away. He wished she would let him be that person for her.

"You have to understand, she's not used to such affection of comforting." Angela said softly, as she set a glass of chocolate milk down in front of him.

"How did you know what I was thinking about?" he asked. Angela just smiled.

"I'm your mother. I know everything."

Frankie smiled but his smile quickly disappeared as he looked in the direction of Maura's room. "How do I compete with that? He's a doctor and saves kids in Africa, risking his life and license to help those less fortunate. He can afford to give her everything she deserves, everything I can't. They have history and a past that I'm not a part of." He said, as he stared at the counter top. "I saw the way she looked at him and the way he looked at her. They have feelings for each other." His heart broke as he came to this revelation. But Angela took Frankie's hands in hers, his insecurities breaking her heart. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Frankie Rizzoli! I saw all that but I also saw something else that you did not. She chose you." She told her son. "She. Chose. You. Maura loves you and wants you. If she wanted Ian she would've gone with him, or let him stay here. But she didn't. She sent him away and kissed you. She told you she loves you. But you heard Ian; he's not going down without a fight. You need to be ready to fight for the woman you love." She gripped his hands harder. "Do what your father couldn't. Rise up and meet that challenge. Fight for the woman you love or you're going to lose her. Yes, Ian has a medical degree and is more financially stable but I don't think Maura cares about either. You two have a history together too. A history without Ian and THAT is what you have going for. She loves what you two have together and wants to see where you two are going. Are you going to keep running with her or let some other man steal her from you?" she ended with a kiss to her son's forehead before retiring to her guest house, leaving Frankie with his thoughts.

He dropped his head in his hands and did something he hadn't done for a while. He prayed. He prayed that Maura still loved him; that no matter what happened with Ian, she still chose him. Frankie loved Maura with everything he had and their time together was too short for it to end so quickly. But he knew ultimately it was her decision; she had a choice. But if she chose Ian in the end, he wasn't going down without a fight.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delay! I've been super busy with exams... bleh! But I hope it's worth the wait! :) Also if you have seen the Rizzoli and Isles Season 4 premiere then you may recognize a conversation; I tried to write it in exactly as it happened but I haven't seen it since it aired... so, please forgive me if it's not exactly word for word! It was just one of my favorite parts so I decided to add it in and have fun with it :)**

Frankie opened his eyes against the early morning sunlight, pouring through Maura's living room windows. He slept on the couch last night, respecting Maura's wish for privacy while she sorts out her emotions with Ian's surprise visit the night before. He would never leave her side though, not completely. Frankie leaned his head back on the couch cushions and closed his eyes.

His past with Maura was irreplaceable, he felt. The ups and the downs they went through together could never match up to Ian; granted he didn't know exactly what Maura and Ian's past included. He remembered the jealousy he felt when she dated Dennis Rockmond; how he "arrested" her to break up their little date. The thought of the serial killer's arms around her made Frankie literally sick to his stomach. He knew Dr. Pike was also in love with the gorgeous doctor and he couldn't blame him. Jane told him that Maura was jealous when Teresa came back into his life with a little girl she claimed was his. Frankie cringed as he thought of being the father to a child that wasn't part Maura's too.

He thought back to all the times he, Jane, Maura, Frost and Korsak got together in the Dirty Robber to celebrate solving another case. They laughed, joked and told stories until closing when they were eventually kicked out. All the family dinners together, which always included Korsak and Frost and lately Cavanaugh had become a member of their little family get-togethers. He almost burst with happiness when his mother moved into Maura's guest house, he could finally be over at Maura's house with a new excuse: to see his mother. He grinned at that thought, thinking he was so clever.

But his smiled disappeared as he thought of all the bad times: he was in constant fear that one of Patty Doyle's enemies would find Maura. He heart clenched at all the times she had been attacked; When she and Tommy were held hostage in her own house. He half wished Dennis Rockmond had lived so he could kill the bastard himself. When they were stuck in the shootout, he had whispered to Jane to make sure nothing happened to Maura. Every time Maura went undercover, he prayed she made it out alright.

Yes, their past was definitely something to hold onto and fight for. And he was going to fight like hell if it came to that. 'He doesn't know her like I do.' Frankie told himself.

His thoughts were interrupted as Maura exited her room. Her sleepy bloodshot red eyes and mussed hair made it evident that she spent the night tossing and turning and Frankie immediately went to go make her coffee.

"Good morning." He said quietly, not sure if she was still wanting her space. But Maura wrapped her arms around him from behind, allowing her head to rest on his back, her fingers interlacing around his middle. She pressed a kiss to his shoulder, letting him know that she loved him. He turned in her arms to take her in his. Maura sighed and relaxed in his embrace, feeling his heart beating.

"I need to see Ian today." She whispered to him. Frankie froze and immediately felt his stomach drop. She was going to choose Ian... He looked down at her to see her looking up at him. "Please understand, Frankie. I was once in love with Ian. He was the man I was waiting for, until I decided that I was done waiting around for something that was never going to happen. He always chose the job over me. Every time I begged him to stay, he left. And I couldn't take it anymore. So I moved on and at first I didn't think I could move on. But I did. I fell in love with you. And it was one of those that took me a while to admit to myself. You were one of my best friends and Jane's little brother. But I fell in love anyways. You became the person I wanted to turn to when I was alone or scared or happy. I wanted you to be the person I could trust before anyone else. Frankie, you are the man who makes me so happy, who makes me feel safe and cherish. You look at me and my heart races and I could tell you scientific facts trying to explain this but it wouldn't make sense even to me. I can't explain the feelings I feel for you. Please trust me, I need to do this. I have to end this with Ian and give myself the closure. He was my past, but you are my future." She pleaded with her boyfriend. Frankie understood. When Teresa came back with Lily, and it turned out that she wasn't his daughter, he realized he needed to say goodbye to that chapter in his life. Maura just needed to say goodbye to this chapter in her life.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Of course, sweetheart." He whispered as he kissed her gently, reminding himself that she was his. She still wanted him and the thought made his heart soar. He handed Maura her coffee and smiled as he watched her lovingly. "I love you." He told her as he smoothed her wild curls. Maura leaned into him and sipped her coffee. "I love you too Frankie."

Later that evening, the couple along with Jane sat in Maura's courtyard which separated her house from Angela's guest house working on Frankie's motorcycle. It was a beautiful evening for the "kids" to spend some quality time together. They broke the case and Maura had an opportunity to go talk to Ian. Frankie was relieved when she came back with the good news that the doctor was headed back to Africa. He smiled to himself as he watched Maura and Jane teased and joked with each other. He felt so blessed to have a wonderful sister and girlfriend who got along. They still hadn't told Jane or anyone else about them. As far as they knew, Angela was the only one who knew about their budding romance. And that was just how they liked it, till they were ready to tell everyone else.

"That motorcycle could make a beautiful café racer." Maura suggested as she looked over Frankie's bike. Jane almost spurt her beer out.

"He works in the drug unit, not the espresso unit, Maura." Jane retorted. Frankie held back a smirk.

"The Harley look is passé. 1960's British rockers are back!" Maura added with a grin. Frankie grinned back at her, unable to make fun of the adorable way she was getting all excited over this.

"Actually café racer could be a better cover. Can you get it to run?" he asked her. Maura bit on the inside of her lip, deciding to have some fun with Frankie.

"Well, before it _sucks_ it into the combustion chamber," she paused to look up at Frankie suggestively, meeting the intense look he was giving her. She knew she had his attention and she licks her lips coyly before sauntering over to Jane who was watching the scene with amusement. She decided to play along.

"Go on." Jane purred, getting Maura back on focus. Operation-Make-Frankie-Nervous was in action.

"…violent explosion _rams _the piston down with great force." Maura continued. Frankie felt his pants tighten as he listened to his sweet Maura talk so dirty. _'Dear Lord, make her stop.'_ He pleaded silently, the last thing he needed was to get hard with his sister sitting right across from him. He bent his head and tried his very best to concentrate on his motorcycle parts.

"…long connecting rod forces the crank pin into rotation…which is what you want." She finally ended her torture with a heated suggestive look at Frankie, clearly enjoying watching the poor now-Detective struggle to keep his composure. He was itching to grab Maura around the waist and hoist her up on the table and have his way with her; her dirty talk turning him on more than he'd like to admit.

Jane was struggling too; struggling not to burst out laughing. "God, I would love to have my crank pin rotated right about now." She admitted before chugging her beer. Maura grinned and decided to have mercy on her boyfriend and stop torturing him. "I knew you'd miss him." She told Jane, meaning Casey.

Frankie decided to speak up. "Ok, you guys are really making me uncomfortable!" he protested as the girls just burst out laughing, unable to control it any longer. Frankie joined in until they were interrupted by the sound of Angela's voice.

"Oh stop it, you big lug! You wouldn't have-" she broke off as she spotted her kids all sitting outside. Lieutenant Cavanaugh trailed behind her carrying her bags of groceries. "Oh, hi. I didn't know you were all here." She added meekly, almost embarrassed to be bringing a man home, even though everyone knew Angela and Sean were dating.

"Hello." Sean said behind her. Jane, Frankie and Maura all answered back with their own hello's. Maura saved the poor Lieutenant the embarrassment and looked away but Jane and Frankie fixed the older adults with a well-practiced stare.

"We were just going to make dinner together." Angela explained. Sean looked from Jane to Frankie, "Hope you two don't mind." He added, asking for approval from his detectives to date their mother.

"No! Not at all!" they responded simultaneously. Maura ducked her head to hide her smile; she could tell they were both lying. "How nice…" Jane said, also trying not to throw up or laugh at the thought of her boss and her mother… no, not going there….

"Night!" Angela said quickly before entering the guest house with Sean behind her, leaving her kids standing in awkward silence. Jane was first to look over at Maura in absolute horror.

"Night? What the hell?!" Frankie and Maura couldn't hold it back anymore and they burst out laughing, Maura quickly trying to hide her laughter. "Shhhh! They can hear you!" she reprimanded.

"Good! I hope they can hear me. They shouldn't be doing what they're doing, whatever it is that they're planning to do." She wrinkled her nose.

"Ewww!" Frankie certainly did not want to think about his mom and his boss doing…anything.

"Frankie go in there!" Jane bossed him around.

"No! you go!" he shot back. Maura looked back and forth from the two siblings, shaking her head at them. She wished she had a sibling to fight with. But she and Jane interact like siblings. But the things she and Frankie have done were certainly not sibling-like. She smiled slightly as she thought of Frankie. Jane looked over to see her friend day-dreaming… Biting her cheek, Jane drained her beer and stood up.

"Well I certainly don't want to stick around to hear anything shenanigans coming from there." She said, pointing at the guest house, but leaving so Maura and Frankie could have some privacy. "Or out here…" she muttered under her breath. But Frankie was an expert at deciphering his sister's lingo and sarcasm and he heard her.

"Wait, you know about us?" he asked her. Maura's head shot up and panic flooded her face. Jane noticed this and quickly reassured her friend, playing it off like it was no big deal. "Yeah, duh! You two work around detectives all day… of course we know…" she told them. "But we're cool with it."

"Wait, you said we. Who else knows?" Maura said quickly.

"Frost and Korsak. And Cavanaugh might have mentioned that he and Ma walked in on you two in the kitchen the other night. Seriously, you two get a room!" she joked taking great pleasure at Frankie's look of embarrassment and Maura's look of confusion. "Get a room? But we were already home. Why would we go to a hotel and get a room?" she pondered. Frankie grinned and put his arm around her.

"She means if we're going to make out, we should do it behind closed doors." He explained as he watched the look of confusion go away as she understood what Jane was saying. Jane rolled her eyes at the couple.

"But none of that PDA! That's so gross!" she whined. Maura grinned and looked up at Frankie. "So the supply closet still counts right? It has a door and we weren't caught last time." She added seductively. Frankie grinned and leaned over to kiss her but was interrupted by the sound of Jane making gagging noises.

"Ok, I'm out of here. That's so nasty you two!" she said before throwing her beer bottle in the garbage and leaving the two love birds alone.

Maura was immediately swept up in Frankie's arms. She squealed very un-ladylike but she didn't care. When she was with Frankie she didn't have to be "Dr. Isles." She was just Maura.

"I thought she was never going to leave." He whispered against her mouth as he gripped her hips and hoisted her up onto the stone wall. Maura kissed him back, their mouths fused together, sparks flying.

"You were driving me crazy." She moaned. "I get very turned on watching you work, your muscular form is exquisite." She said as she ran her hands over his biceps. Frankie swelled with pride at her words but frowned. "I was driving you crazy? You were driving me crazy! Talking dirty like that, god Maura!" he groaned and grinded her hips against her, letting her feel what she did to him. Maura gasped and threw her head back. He left little kisses along the beautiful arch of her neck noticing the faint splatter of freckles, his hands roaming her petite body.

Maura opened her eyes and jumped down, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward her house. "I think we should get a room." She said suggestively as she reached down to run her hand over the front of his pants, her lips meeting his. He groaned his approval and tugged her towards the house, slamming the door behind them.

Across the street, two men sat in a car unseen by anyone. One flipped open his phone and dialed a number.

"Ok, they're in. Set off the bomb." He closed the phone and the car drove off. When they were two blocks away, they heard a deafening sound of a huge blast, a bomb going off in the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Maura grinned against Frankie's mouth as they stumbled through the door. He turned and pressed her body against it, closing the door roughly with her body. Maura moaned at his forcefulness and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to pick her up and wrap her legs around his waist. His hands brushed against her lower back and she sighed into his mouth. "Maura…" he whispered as she kissed him, her lips leaving a trail of kisses down his strong neck. She impatiently tore his leather jacket off of him, feeling his broad shoulders under her hands.

"I want you." She told him, her eyes shining with love and tenderness. Frankie gathered her hair in his fist and pressed her lips to his. "I want you too." He admitted through his kisses. They stayed like that, wrapped in each other's embrace till Maura became impatient and squirmed against his body, letting him know she was ready for more. Frankie chuckled. "Impatient much?" he teased.

Maura bit his lip and whispered, "For you? Always…" she smiled at her boyfriend and laughed when he spun to carry her to her room. They were just about to cross over to her bed when the deafening sound of a cannon blast made Frankie nearly drop her. They fell to the floor together as the earth shattering sound of explosives went off. Flashes of red, orange and black blinded them. The windows of Maura's bedroom burst, sending glass flying everywhere. Maura screamed and felt Frankie cover her with his body, shielding her from getting hurt. Black smoke filled their lungs and fire quickly surrounded them. Thinking quickly, Frankie hauled Maura into his arms and ran out through the living room and out the front door.

"Bass!" Maura screamed, thinking of her beloved pet tortoise. But Frankie held her tightly. "You can't go back in there, sweetheart. We need to get to safety." He told her but his heart broke as he witnessed the tears fall from her face. They stood in silence as they watched Maura's neighbor's house burn.

Sean and Angela came running from the guest house. "What the hell?" Sean yelled as he held Angela's hand tightly. They watched the whole right side of Maura's house burn. "My home…" she whispered through her tears. Angela knew Maura wasn't completely ok with hugs but her maternal instincts knew she needed comfort right now. She wrapped her daughter in her arms and held her as Maura cried on the shoulder of the only mother she really knew. Frankie was on the phone with the rest of the team and Sean was calling in back up and the bomb squad.

"Why was Maura's neighbors attacked?" Frankie asked Cavanaugh. But the seasoned Lieutenant shook his head. "I have no idea. But this is now part of our investigation. There's no coincidence that the neighbors of a cop family –" he broke off as Jane's car screamed to a halt behind them.

"Are you all ok? What the hell happened?" she cried as she hugged her family, taking special care to make sure they were all safe. When she was satisfied she turned to take in the house burning. "Oh Maura…" she didn't know what to say to comfort her friend. It was as if time stood still for the five of them. Firefighters, first responders and cops ran around them, trying to put out the fire at the neighbor's house and Maura's house. Sirens, flashing lights and people yelling filled the night but it was as if all of it was muted to them. They stood there in a daze, just holding onto one another and praying for the best.

The bomb squad arrived and searched Maura's apartment from top to bottom before anyone was allowed back in there. Frankie wrapped an arm around Maura's waist and supported her as they carefully entered her half destroyed home. Maura held back the sobs as she took in the sight. Her beautiful home, all her artifacts, souvenirs from her travels and most prized possessions were destroyed. She had never felt more violated than she did now. The team stood at the doorway, their hearts breaking for the doctor as she cried against Frankie's shoulder. Her home, their home was gone. The items that were still salvageable were being carefully removed from the home by the bomb squad. They would hold her possessions in storage until she had found a new place. "Bass." She said quietly before turning to look for her friend. The team spread out to find the tortoise.

"Here!" they heard Korsak yell. Maura rushed over to him to find Bass huddled in a corner, terrified of the commotion. She knelt by him and patted his shell lovingly, hoping to calm him. Korsak called his vet friend who helped him out whenever he needed emergency care for the animals he found. "Dr. Peters is on his way, he'll take good care of Bass." He reassured Maura.

One of the fire fighters interrupted them and spoke to Cavanaugh. "Lieutenant Cavanaugh, you need to see this." The team followed to see what was so important. They followed the fireman to one of the nearby vans to find a group of children: two boys and three little girls getting their wounds dressed. The oldest was one of the boys, he looked to be about 12 and the youngest was one of the girls, she looked to be approximately 4. They were all safe from the explosion but were covered in ashes and black smoke residue.

"Oh my goodness!" Angela cried, the mother in her felt the need to scoop up the children and hold them close as she did with Maura. The rest of the team were staring at the children as though they were foreign creatures.

"We found them safe in the little garden shed in the back." The fireman told them. The EMT that was dressing their small wounds finished and left the scene to find more victims. "What do we do with them?" Jane asked.

"I didn't even realize my neighbors had children, I've never seen them before." Maura said in a hushed voice, silently chastising herself for not being more mindful of her surroundings. How could she not have remembered ever seeing 5 children living right next to her? Or hear them?

The oldest boy stepped forward and held his hand out to Cavanaugh who shook it. "I'm Mason; these are my sisters and my brother. This is James," he said as he pointed to his brother, "and Emily, Ginny and Kelsey." He pointed to his sisters. "We were the Kenmore's foster kids… kinda" he told them, furrowing his brow as he tried to figure out how to explain to the cops. Cavanaugh had a feeling this young man's story was a long one so he thought for a moment before responding.

"We need to talk to all of you but you guys look hungry. Would you guys like to go somewhere to eat and we can talk?" He smiled a bit, trying to relax the scared kids. It worked, at the sound of food, their eyes lit up. Upon further inspection, Maura could tell these children were all underfed. She bit her lip as the thought of just how abused these kids were. Frankie could tell Maura was bothered and he rubbed her back soothingly. She looked up at him and rested her head on his shoulder. She took one last look at her destroyed home and struggled once more to hold back her tears.

"Maura…" Korsak laid a gentle hand on the young doctor's shoulder and squeezed firmly. "There's nothing more we can do. The bomb squad is getting everything that's left out and put in storage. Bass is out and safe. They got your purse so you have access to your bank accounts. I'm sure you guys can stay with one of us." He offered. Jane, Frankie and Frost nodded in agreement. Frankie nodded and held his lady a little tighter. "You can stay with me and Ma could stay with Jane." Jane nodded in agreement. "Come one sweetie, let's go figure out this case. There's no way whoever blew up the house is getting away."

"Especially with these kids involved!" Angela said with a surge of anger in her voice. She couldn't understand how people could put innocent children in danger like that. She was eager to get these kids fed and hear their story. Like Sean, she had a feeling their story was going to impact the whole team.

Maura turned to see the children staring at her curiously. "Is that your house?" the little girl piped up. Maura nodded and smiled sadly. "Yes, it was." She answered.

"Oh. I'm sorry it got hurt." She said quietly. Maura just knelt down to be on even ground with the little girl. "What's your name?" Maura asked her.

"I'm Ginny and I'm 6." She said proudly. Maura smiled at her but looked deep into the little girl's eyes to see pain and anguish hidden behind a veil of fake happiness. She could tell this little girl spent so much of her time pretending to be happy when in fact she was sad and hurting. Maura was all too familiar with the feeling. She looked up at the other children who were still staring curiously at the doctor. They all had the same look of deep pain in their eyes and it shattered Maura's heart. She didn't understand how she could have been living next to these kids without ever seeing them before. A single tear escaped and slid down her cheek as the realization came over her that these kids didn't have parents anymore.

And then the unexpected happened. Ginny stepped up to Maura and gently wiped her tear away. "Please don't cry." She said simply as she threw her arms around Maura's neck in a gentle hug. Ginny seemed to understand the emotional trauma Dr. Isles was going through and she did her best to offer comfort. Maura was shocked to say the least but after a moment she slowly wrapped the little girl in her arms and held her tightly, unable to stop her tears from falling. The others watched the scene in awed silence. This was Dr. Isles, their somewhat naïve, socially awkward but sophisticated friend who always put rationality and logic before all else, and here she was kneeling on the ground hugging a little girl she didn't even know and crying her heart out.

Maura didn't know what came over here but she felt an odd sensation of kinship with these kids. She understood them and wanted so badly to help them in any way she could. It didn't make sense to her. She was Dr. Maura Isles: the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Chief Medical Examiner and a forensic expert working at the Boston Police Department. It was a big title to fill and she certainly did not like others to see her as being weak. But with her friends and family she knew she was safe to be human for the next 10 minutes and it felt refreshing.

Frankie watched his girlfriend with the young girl and a feeling of love and over-protectiveness came over him, for Maura and these kids. He knew they were going to change their lives, he just didn't know how, for better or for worse and he truly didn't know how this would alter his relationship with Maura, his friends and family. But he knew one thing: they were going to do what they do best and find who did this to these kids and put his Maura in danger.

But for now all that mattered to any of them was getting the kids fed and hearing how their story unravels.


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is a bit longer but I really wanted to use it to introduce Lieutenant Cavanaugh to the "family." Also, I wanted to explore the relationships each kid had with the adults. so there's not a lot of cute fluffy, but it's a good family chapter, Hope you enjoy! :)**

Lieutenant Cavanaugh knew it was only a matter of time before he got "sucked in" to the Rizzoli family. As he held Angela's hand and looked around at his team, he knew it had happened. And he didn't mind one bit. They were walking to a nearby Denny's to get some food for the kids. Mason had introduced the rest of his siblings; James and Kelsey were 10 year old twins, Ginny was 6 and the youngest was Emily and she was 4. Frankie had his arm around Maura who was still holding Ginny's hand. Frost and Jane were arguing like 5 year olds, making Korsak and the two boys laugh at them. Kelsey and Emily seemed to be shyer and quiet but smiled and laughed when Frost started giving Jane lessons on how to properly cluck like a chicken. Yup, this was slowly becoming his family.

"What do you mean I'm not doing it right?" she argued. Jane frowned as Frost instructed her.

"I can do it!" Ginny squealed as she let go of Maura's hand and immediately began her chicken impersonation which had everyone laughing. She grabbed Jane's hand and the two of them made the little family roar with laughter as they chicken danced down the street together.

Angela felt her heart fill with happiness as she surveyed her "family." She was so proud of her children. Jane, Frankie and Tommy were all a good place in their lives. She was so proud of Tommy for stepping up to be a good father for Tommy Jr. and working things out with Lydia. Frankie was now a detective and dating the most wonderful woman for him. Jane was falling in love with Casey and living the life she loved as a detective. Maura and Frost were her "adopted children" so to speak but she couldn't wait to see where Maura and Frankie went with their new relationship.

'_He better marry that girl_!' she thought as she watched them together. Maura was leaning into Frankie as they walked hand in hand. Frankie was looking down at Maura with complete adoration and tenderness. They loved each other. '_Don't you dare let her go Frankie Rizzoli_!' the over protective mother in her silently prayed. Korsak was her friend and confidant and the man who was there to help pull her through the messy divorce. He knew all about divorce but it was a real eye opener to see how it affected the women. And now she had Sean. They were working on their relationship but their love was strong and that was enough for the couple. Now she just needed to find a woman for Frost…

They approached the Denny's and Sean held the door open for his family. "Table for… 12…? Wow!" the young waitress exclaimed as she picked up a stack of menus. Sean puffed out his chest a bit. "Yes, ma'am. We're a big family." The team smiled and followed the waitress. It was nice to be a "family."

The children looked around uncertainly as they approached the table. "Is everything alright?" Angela noticed the uncomfortable reactions from the kids. Mason bit his lip.

"We've never been in a restaurant. What do we do?" he whispered to her. Maura frowned.

"Never?"

Mason shook his head and everyone looked around at each other, all thinking the same things. '_These poor kids._' Jane cleared her throat and jumped into action.

"Kelsey, why don't you sit by me? I'll help you with the menu?" she suggested. Taking the hint from Jane, Korsak motioned for Emily to follow him. "I noticed you have a puppy on your shirt! I love dogs!" he tried to connect with the little girl. At the thought of the kind old man who loved puppies, Emily's eyes lit up and she moved to make sure she had a seat next to the Sergeant. James and Frost were busy in a heated conversation about fighter jets and airplanes so Cavanaugh motioned for Mason to sit by him. He wanted to talk to Mason especially as the oldest he would have most accurate information. Ginny took a seat next to Maura and Frankie. As everyone got settled in and the adults helped the kids order their food, Sean turned to Mason.

"So tell us about yourselves." He asked him. Mason took a sip of his chocolate milk Angela ordered for him before beginning his story.

"The Kenmore's were our foster parents. Our biological parents died shortly after Emily was born. They died in a car crash and we were sent to a foster home. They wanted to split us up but I told them no. It's very important to me that we stay together." He told the team and Sean made a mental note of that. No matter what happened they would make sure the kids were together. "The Kenmore's took us in."

"But they were mean!" Emily piped up, her little face going red with anger as she remembered the years of pain they experienced at the hands of their foster parents. "What do you mean they were mean?" Korsak asked gently. Ginny bit her lip and tugged on Maura's hand. Maura looked down to see the little girl looking up at her with tears in her eyes. "Mrs. Kenmore used to put her cigarettes out on our backs." She whispered. A surge of anger flooded Maura and Frankie as they looked up to see the same anger and shock on all the adults faces.

"And they used to kick us!" Emily said as she held tightly to Korsak, who held her protectively.

Frost frowned. "What about school? Why didn't you tell anyone?" he asked. James piped up from next to Frost, "They told us if we told anyone, they'd kill us. And they said the police would never do anything about it. They said they'd never believe us." He said sadly. Jane put her arm around Kelsey, "Well, you know what. We are a family of cops and we're going to do everything in our power to make sure nothing ever happens to any of you again." She promised, her heart breaking for these kids.

"I've never seen any of you guys and I've lived next door to the Kenmore's for almost 3 years." Maura said, a look of confusion on her face.

Mason answered that one for her. "The Kenmore's kept us in their basement. We were allowed out when the social worker did her monthly rounds and for school. But only me, Kelsey and James were allowed out for school. Ginny and Emily aren't old enough." He said. Cavanaugh clenched his fists to prevent himself from becoming too outraged. He looked over to see Angela look at the kids with tears in her eyes. He reached over and held her hand. Maura stood up abruptly and excused herself from the table.

She stumbled to the bathroom and nearly collapsed at the sink, her tears streaming down her face. A moment later, the door opened and Jane came in to check on her friend. "Maura…" she sighed as she joined her friend on the sink. She hugged the doctor and stroked her hair calmly, soothing her.

"How could I not know? How could I live next door to the horrible people who tortured their kids and I never knew…?" she sobbed into Jane's shoulder. "What kind of person am I?" she whispered.

But Jane was having none of it. "Maura, it's not your fault. You heard them! The Kenmore's kept them in a basement! How could you have known?" she reasoned with her friend.

Maura nodded and brushed her blonde hair from her face. "This is just too much; first my house and now these kids… I just want to make sure they're happy. They deserve that." She spoke for the kids.

Jane nodded. "They deserve a home. A home with a mom and dad who loves them and would protect them from harm. A cop family…" she ended, taking Maura's hands in hers. Maura looked up at Jane in surprise.

"You want to adopt them?" she asked her friend.

But Jane shook her head. "Not me. You and Frankie." Maura opened her mouth to argue but Jane interrupted. "These kids need parents. Parents with lots of love to give them. And from what I've seen, you two have a lot of love going on between you two."

"You know?"

"Of course I know! We all know! And you two haven't really been hiding it! But seriously, Maura. I know you two are just starting out but these kids need a home."

"What if Frankie doesn't want them?" Maura asked her.

"Do you want these kids?" Jane asked her simply. But Maura already knew her answer.

"Of course I do! I understand them and I know we could make a wonderful family for them. But Frankie-"

"Frankie will want them." Jane interrupted again. "Especially if he knows how important this is for you. Did you see how angry he looked when they were telling their story? Just talk to him. You might be surprised. I think he wants them and I think you two would make wonderful parents."

Maura tilted her head and smiled. "Jane…it's so cute to see you all sentimental."

"Stop."

"Ok, fine. But it is." Maura laughed as she dried her eyes and followed Jane out of the bathroom. "I'll ask Frankie tonight." She promised.

When they got back to the table their food was there. Maura took her seat and smiled at Frankie who was showing Ginny how to use her fork and knife to cut her pancakes. _'He'll make a wonderful father_." She thought happily to herself.

"Breakfast for dinner?" she teased. Frankie looked up at his girlfriend guiltily. She smiled and turned to her own stack of blueberry pancakes and grinned. Angela laid a hand on Maura's arm.

"You ok, sweetie?"

Maura nodded and leaned over to talk softly to Angela. "I want to adopt these kids." She confided in her. Angela's eyes lit up like the 4th of July.

"Do it! I would love to be called 'Grandma' by these guys! I'll help out a much as I can." She promised. She was over the moon that Maura would want to become a mother. And Frankie would make an excellent father. The two women shared a smiled and turned to watch over their family. Jane was showing Kelsey how to hold a baseball bat by using her knife as an example. Frost, James, Mason, Sean and Korsak were deep in a conversation about the old jets and airplanes used in wars. Frankie and Ginny were still practicing using a knife and Emily had finished her dinner and was curled up in the crook of Frankie's arm. Maura sighed and looked on lovingly. She leaned over and brushed the little girl's hair out of her eyes.

"Do you want to take her?" Frankie whispered. Maura nodded and the adults shifted so Maura could easily slide the sleeping child into her arms. Emily stirred a little bit but she remained asleep and Maura relaxed as she felt Emily relax in her arms. She rocked her slowly, careful not to wake her. Frankie's heart caught in his throat as he watched Maura cuddle Emily close to her. The look of motherly love was a look he wasn't going to forget so soon and he vowed that someday she'll be able to wear that look every day for the rest of her life.

The family finished and left the restaurant. The bomb squad had called Maura to let her know her house was closed off and they had gotten everything out and will hold it for her until she has a new place.

"What are we doing with the kids tonight?" Frankie asked as he held onto Ginny who had fallen asleep in his arms. Emily was still in Maura's arms and Angela was literally bursting at the seams at the sight of the young couple slowly falling into the roles of parenthood. She didn't know what was happening with the kids or Maura and Frankie but she prayed to God, they adopted them. Mason, James, Kelsey, Ginny and Emily were already slowly making a place in the hearts of the cop family.

"Well we need to figure something out for all of us. My place is a little small to have everyone." Jane said apologetically.

"Why doesn't everyone just stay at my place tonight? I have room for all the kids, Maura and Angela. Frankie if you don't want to leave Maura and the kids, you're welcome to stay as well." Sean suggested. And it was true, he was the only one with a house big enough to house the kids, Maura and Angela who didn't have a home at the moment. Maura smiled graciously and accepted the Lieutenant's kind offer. Frankie nodded too. Even though he had his own place he certainly didn't want to leave Maura or the kids right now.

"Will we see each other again?" Kelsey asked Jane with whom she had developed a certain bond with. Both were tom-boys and Kelsey definitely didn't want to lose her new friend. Jane knelt down and hugged Kelsey. "Of course you will. We all work together and pretty much hang out with each other all the time." She reassured the little girl. Kelsey was satisfied and turned to take Angela's hand.

"And plus we're going to find out who blew up your houses and Dr. Isles's house." Frost told the kids as he hugged James and Mason good bye. Korsak agreed as he leaned over and rubbed a soothing hand over Emily's back. The fact that the little girl loved animals made him feel a special connection to her.

"Why don't you guys come over for breakfast? Angela and I will whip something up." Sean invited everyone over for breakfast at his place. He noticed the way the team was all attached to these kids now. And he would be lying if he said he wasn't. He had a feeling Maura and Frankie would be making some big decisions in their new future. He looked over to see Angela smiling at him and he knew he was going to like being part of this family. After his wife and son died so many years ago, he didn't think he could have a second chance for a family. But maybe this dysfunctional but strong team would be his second chance. He knew Angela thought of his team as her "kids." Which means he would be the "father figure." He liked that thought as his own son would've been the same age of his detectives. Jane and Frankie were already Angela's and Maura and Frost had made a place for themselves in her heart. And he knew Korsak was one of her best friends and confidant and sometimes she told him things that she didn't tell him. Out of respect for Angela, he didn't want to take that role away from Korsak but he hoped that someday he could be that person for her.

They arranged to run to a nearby store first and get some clothes and necessities for the kids, Maura and Angela. Frankie had to almost drag Maura out of the store before she bought the place.

"Babe, we don't know what happening with them yet. And don't forget, we need to figure out new living arrangements for you." He reasoned with her as he took the deluxe stereo system out of the cart and placed it back on the shelf. Sean and Angela hid their smiles but exchanged a knowing look. It was cute to watch Maura and Frankie shop together especially for kids. They act as though they've been married for years.

Finally around midnight, they all stumbled into Sean's house, bags of clothing, toiletries and everything else Maura insisted they needed. Sean had 3 guest bedrooms in his house so they decided the boys would share one room, the girls the other and Frankie and Maura would take the other.

It was unnerving to the adults how taken the kids were with simple things like a bed. They had never slept in a bed with pillows or had their own drawers to put their new clothes. Maura and Angela got the girls settled, teeth brushed, pj's on and tucked into bed while Sean and Frankie worked on Mason and James.

Soon, the kids were put to bed. But first Maura had to check on them to make sure they were all safe and cuddled into their beds. Frankie guided his girlfriend to their bedroom and said good night to Sean and Angela.

"Frankie, I wanted to talk to you about the kids." Maura started as they brushed their teeth. Frankie knew exactly what she wanted to talk about and he had actually been thinking about the same thing. He didn't know a lot about being a father but he knew he was ready to try it. Especially with these kids and the woman of his dreams there to help him out. He took Maura in his arms and spun her around so she was facing him.

"Yes." He said simply, grinning at the look of confusion on Maura's face.

"But you don't know what I was going to say!" she tried to argue but Frankie silenced her with a sweet kiss.

"I know you, Maura. And I saw how you were with the kids today. And I know you want to adopt them." He whispered as he slowly undid her hair and watched it tumble down her back in thick golden locks. Maura closed her eyes and leaned into his strong arms, sighing contently when he wrapped them around her.

"And you?" she asked him nervously. Frankie tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. "I love you Maura." He told her and kissed her gently. "And I would be more than honored to be the father of these kids with you. I want them too."

Maura felt her heart leap in her chest. Frankie loved her and wanted to start a family with her. They were going to adopt Mason, James, Kelsey, Ginny and Emily. But Maura felt her bubble burst as she thought about her job and the fact that she doesn't even have a place to live. She told Frankie her worries and he pcked her up and led her over to the bed, laying her down.

"We'll figure it all out." He promised her. "But for right now, we need some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a big day." He told her. Maura grinned and snuggled up to Frankie, scooting close so he can hold her while she slept. Her mind wandered to the parentless kids in the rooms next door and she knew her life would never be the same anymore. She was going to be a mother to five kids. And maybe it was time to say good bye to her career as the medical examiner and welcome these children into her life.

Whichever she chose, she knew she had Frankie and the Rizzoli's, Frost, Korsak and Cavanaugh. They were a cop family and they had each other's backs.


	9. Chapter 9

_**SO BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE READ THIS: Words are powerful. They can inspire, they can hurt, they can make us cry, they can make us laugh, they can begin someone's career or they can destroy someone's hopes and dreams. To me, FanFiction is supposed to be a place where authors and readers can get together and share our stories, thoughts and ideas whether it's about our favorite TV characters or characters from a book. Or maybe you're here to read other's stories. Whatever your purpose is here, everyone should feel free to express themselves without being harassed, judged, criticized or made fun of. My very good friend has an account on here and was maliciously attacked in the reviews to her stories. The reviews were terrible, hurtful and full of hate aimed directly at her. She is an amazing writer with so much potential and talent and she almost gave it up because someone told her she was "worthless" and "to go hide in a cave and never come out." Giving an author constructive critism and telling them they're "stupid" and "to stop writing" are two very different things! A lot more really hurtful things were said, cussing at her and stuff that I will not post publicly. This upset me greatly and I am extremely disappointed in today's society that someone would go out of their way to bring someone down that badly. So the point of this, is to just please, be mindful of your words and how they affect each other. Because you never know when you might say something that hurts someone to the point of them giving up their dreams. My friend is an amazing author and today she almost gave up her dreams to be a journalist because of one person's hateful words. **_

_**And now, for all you "smut-tastic" peeps who private messaged me to write a smutty Frankie/Maura scene, here ya go! THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M! **_

Maura awoke to the feel of a strong hand making slow but relaxing circles on her back. She inhaled deeply and smiled as she recognized the smell of Frankie Rizzoli sleeping next to her. She stretched and tilted her head up to see him looking up at the ceiling deep in thought. His brow was furrowed and his eyes looked a million miles away.

'_The look of hard concentration looks good on him_.' She thought as she studied his bone structure and jaw line. She felt the tingling in her belly and she bit her lip as she fought the urge to roll over and get him naked. Her eyes followed his neck down to his pectorals and his broad, muscular shoulders; those shoulders she clung to when they were spinning out of control. She shuddered as she thought of their nights of endless passion. The way he made her feel, their cries and moans filling the room, their sweaty bodies pressed together.

Maura shuddered again this time more violently and broke Frankie out of his stupor. He shifted so he could see her looking up at him with lust filled eyes. Frankie gulped, knowing all too well what the sexy doctor was thinking. She grinned and rolled over so she was laying on top of Frankie who moaned at the sudden feeling of her body pressed against him. He tangled his hands in her hair and brought her lips to his.

"Fuck." He groaned as she ground her hips into his. Maura bit his lip sharply before gently soothing it with her tongue. She flicked her tongue over his lip, teasing him, begging for entrance that he so willingly gave. Maura sat up and pulled her silk nightgown off and tossed it next to them and smiled shyly as Frankie stared at her. Sometimes he had to remind himself that Maura was his now and he could touch her anytime he wanted; this beauty straddling his hips was all his and he was going to make sure she never forgot it. He grasped her hips in his strong hands and sat up and carefully pulling her into his body, getting more turned on as her naked body molded to his with perfection. Their lips danced and tongues battled as they took time to explore each other's mouth.

"I want you Frankie. All of you." She told him, as she ran her hands up and down his chest, feeling his muscles ripple, he soft hair on his chest tickling her breasts. His hands teased her soft skin, cupping her breasts and then sliding down to cup her ass. He pulled back for air and looked down at the woman in his arms.

"I want you too, Maura. So badly." He told her as he resumed kissing her. "You're gorgeous." He whispered to her. She felt his arms around her waist and held onto his shoulders as he flipped them. Maura giggled and Frankie burst with pride that he could turn the sophisticated, classy doctor into a giggling little school girl. She pulled him down for a kiss and wrapped her legs around his waist, rubbing her hips against his, moaning his name. He sighed happily as he settled himself between her legs. And Maura was lost to everything except this man.

"I love you." She whispered to him, opening her eyes so he could see all the love she felt for him. This man was her everything and the fact that he loved her back, her flaws and all, made her the happiest woman alive. They were going to start a family together and the couple couldn't be any more in love with each other. She felt him slide his boxers off and as she slid her tongue in his mouth, she felt him slide into her. Time stopped and for the moment everything else disappeared, it was just them. Frankie and Maura. Her back arched and her fingers threaded through Frankie's thick black hair, holding his head as he sucked hard against her neck, marking her. He knew it would leave a hickey but at the moment he didn't care and neither did she.

They made love passionately, their bodies moving in time with each other's, panting in each other's face. Frankie was grunting with the effort not to yell, not to shout, not to scream as he felt her around him. It was heaven. He felt himself coming close and he wanted, no needed, to feel Maura's release at the same time. He loved watching her come undone, her head thrown back, the look of pure ecstasy all over her face, her tiny body tensing up as waves upon waves of pleasure overtook her. Maura knew she was close and she hitched her legs up higher on his waist, forcing him deeper, the angle bringing both of them over the edge. Frankie gripped the bed sheets in his strong hands as he felt intense pleasure over-taking his body; Maura's fingernails digging into his shoulders, but he didn't care.

"Maura!" he sobbed into her shoulder, praying nobody else in the house heard him. Maura's back arched off the bed and she felt her toes curl as she felt Frankie come undone. Gasping for breath, she rolled her hips several times, begging Frankie to help finish her. With several more powerful thrusts, he felt her stomach shudder and tense before her body exploded in an earth-shattering orgasm. He kissed her hard, swallowing her screams of passion.

Frankie rolled off to the side so he didn't squish her and he immediately felt her roll into his side, both of them trying to catch their breath. She laid her head on his chest, her little pink tongue darting out to capture the tiny beads of moisture that lingered on his chest. Frankie squeezed her hip and laughed softly.

"Well, good morning, sweetheart." He whispered to her. Maura nuzzled his neck and sucked gently on his earlobe.

"Good morning, Frankie." She laughed, threading her hands in his. The lovers laid there enjoying the way the morning sun flooded their room. The fact that they were still in Cavanugh's house even though it had been a week since the fiasco with her house and the kids crossed their minds but both were too caught up in each other to care.

But Frankie knew as the man and as the "dad" it was his responsibility to step up and find a good home for his family. He stroked Maura's soft hair as he gently rubbed circles over her knee.

"What are you thinking about before? You looked so deep in thought." She asked hesitantly, not sure if he wanted to share it with her. But her sweet boyfriend kissed her before turning on his side and taking her naked body in his arms.

"I was just thinking about finding us a house. A new home. We need something for us to start our new family. I was thinking something with a yard for a play set or something for the kids. Or enough room for a dog someday. And definitely a home with a driveway big enough to put in a basketball hoop." He said as he thought back to all the time he, Jane and Tommy used to spend hours playing ball in the yard growing up. He imagined coming home to play basketball with his kids after a day at work. Maura grinned happily as Frankie got lost in his thoughts again. She loved Frankie more than anything and couldn't wait to move in with him. And he was right: if they were going to adopt these kids, they needed a home big enough for their growing family.

She kissed him, bringing him back down to earth, before wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think maybe tomorrow we should pack up the kids and take them house hunting with us." She told him. Frankie grinned at her and rubbed his nose against hers before rolling over her again, laughing with her. His heart leapt with happiness at this gorgeous woman who was making his dreams come true. He settled on top of her before pulling up their sheet, covering them and blocking out the rest of the world.


	10. Chapter 10

**This is going to be the last chapter so it is a bit longer but I hope you enjoyed the story! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed me and my story. I am so forever grateful for your support. This was my first story since I've been back on FFN (it's been at least a year) so I'm just getting my groove back. Enjoy!**

Eight months had passed since the Boston Homicide Unit welcomed five abused, homeless children into their little family. Maura and Frankie had slowly fallen into the roles of parents and agreed after a couple weeks that yes, this is what they wanted and they submitted the paperwork for adoption. Their love for each other was stronger than ever and their love for their children was growing stronger day by day. They had found a wonderful home on Beacon Hill for them to buy. Frankie had originally wanted to rent first, but the wealthy doctor was having none of it.

"This is our first home together! I want it to be ours." She had argued and Frankie, who was helpless to deny his girlfriend anything agreed in the end. But he winced as he looked over his bank account. A cop salary was nothing in comparison to Maura's doctor salary. She made much more than Frankie and it made him very uncomfortable. After many arguments and lectures, they purchased the house and Maura made it up to Frankie by allowing him to have his own "man cave" where he can set up his video games and baseball memorabilia. And she allowed him to take her to a fancy restaurant once a month so he felt like he could measure up to her luxurious lifestyle.

"It's highly unnecessary." She tried to reason with him one afternoon as the team all gathered in their new house for some family time together. "I love you Frankie. I don't care how much money you do or don't have. Just promise to never leave me?" she whispered as she kissed him. Frankie growled and pulled her tightly against him.

"I couldn't leave you even if I tried. I love you. I'd do anything just to see you smile." He told her and rejoiced as she grinned like a woman head over heels for him.

"Knock it off you two!" Jane interrupted them as she struggled to get a box of Maura's jewelry upstairs. Frost rushed to help her. Maura bit her lip, looking almost apologetic but Frankie dismissed his sister by throwing a soft Nerf football at her.

"Stop it both of you!" Angela scolded as she and Ginny entered with Emily in tow. "Who wants bunny pancakes?" she asked her now grandchildren. At the mention of food, Mason and James scrambled to the kitchen followed by Kelsey who was trying to convince her brothers that she should be allowed to play basketball with them.

"You're a girl! You can't play with us." James told his twin as they pushed Ginny aside to wash their hands.

"Hey now! Girls can play basketball!" Jane argued for Kelsey.

"See? Told you!" Kelsey said as she in turn pushed her brother out of the way to wash her hands.

"Your father, Uncle Tommy and I used to play basketball together growing up." Jane reminisced.

"Didja win?" Kelsey asked as she looked up at her Aunt Jane in complete adoration.

"Yeah, every time!" Frankie interjected as he picked Emily up, making the little girl squeal with delight. "We would go out and play basketball and she would say, 'don't worry guys, I'll take it easy on you.' And she beat out butts!" he told them. Everyone laughed at that but it surprised no one that Jane's competitive nature wouldn't allow her brothers to win a game of basketball.

"Will you teach me how to play basketball, Daddy?" Emily asked shyly. The room went silent as they all realized what just happened. This was the first time any of the children had acknowledge Frankie or Maura as their "mom and dad." They've always been "Mr. Frankie and Ms. Maura." Maura held her breath as she waited for Frankie to respond to the little girl's question. Frankie was stunned and speechless as he searched for the words. He and Maura had agreed they wouldn't push their role of parents on the kids till they were ready. The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Frankie looked over at the other kids who were looking back and forth from Maura and Frankie. They had certainly caught onto what Emily had said and were not sure how to respond. But Mason finally smiled shyly at him.

"Yeah Dad, you have to teach her how to play properly." He broke the silence, smiling over at Frankie, accepting him as his father. Frankie puffed out his chest proudly.

"Yeah and Mommy can teach me all about the skeleton, right Mommy?" Ginny followed her brother's lead and skipped over Maura and took her by the hand. James and Kelsey grinned at each other. The kids knew Maura and Frankie were their parents now but this was the first time they had truly accepted it. Frankie hugged Emily, promising her that he would definitely show her how to play basketball. Maura looked over at Frankie and she knew she was going to love being called "Mom" by these kids.

Angela, Jane and Frost all shared smiles as they witnessed the beautiful scene. "Oh goodness, you guys are going to make me cry!" Angela said as she quickly dabbed her eyes with the towel.

"Ma! Don't cry!" Jane said as she shook her head and hugged her mother. Maura picked Ginny up in her arms and said, "I would love to teach you all about the skeleton." She promised. Ginny hugged her around the neck and buried her little face in the doctor's soft hair.

"Come on everyone! We're making dinner, bunny pancakes for everyone!" Angela announced as she turned back to the kitchen.

"Yes!" Frost bumped fists with James; they were big fans of the bunny shaped pancakes.

The family began moving through the kitchen and began helping Angela fix up dinner. "Don't forget fresh fruit!" Maura reminded them as she brought out a bowl of fresh watermelon. Jane groaned in protest but decided as "Aunt Jane" she needed to set a good example for the kids and grabbed some bowls and began serving up the sliced fruit.

Sean and Korsak were headed over to Frankie and Maura's new home after a hard day at work. They had mountains of paperwork to finish and had just completed it. They were just pulling up the driveway, carefully avoiding the kid's bike left in the driveway, when they saw Rondo, Jane's CI, heading up the front steps, carrying a bouquet of flowers, wearing his God-awful honey mustard colored suit and walking with a teenage girl.

"Rondo!" Korsak called out to the man. The retired jazz musician turned and smiled at the sight of the two men heading towards them. "Good evening Mr. Korsak and Mr. Cavanaugh." The ever polite man greeted them.

"You joining us for dinner?" Korsak asked as he shook Rondo's hand who nodded and tilted his hat.

"Doctor Vanilla invited me to dinner tonight and she said to bring Dawnya." He introduced the young scholar to them, each shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you." Cavanaugh said shaking her hand and Rondo's before ringing the doorbell. James appeared with a big smile on his face.

"Mr. Rondo! Grandpa Cavanaugh! Grandpa Korsak!" he yelled, not sure which one to hug first so he hugged all at once which proved to be a difficult task for the young boy.

"Come in!" Maura said as she held the door open for her family. "Dawnya!" she exclaimed, thoroughly excited to see her young mentee. She hugged her tightly and turned to Rondo who held out the flowers to her.

"Thank you Doctor Vanilla for inviting us to dinner." He said. Maura graciously accepted them and ushered them all in. The family stopped baking to greet Sean and Korsak. Frankie got them beers and the family settled back to their kitchen duties. Dawnya and Kelsey got to work setting the table for everyone while James and Mason showed Rondo their new basketball hoop outside. It was very domestic, the entire scene and it made Maura's heart melt. She turned to her boyfriend and gently wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Hey beautiful." He whispered to her. She kissed him sweetly, allowing her lips to linger before laying her head on his chest and the couple surveyed the scene before them. They watched Angela who had always longed to be a grandma, show Ginny and Emily how to make her famous bunny pancakes. Frost, Korsak and Sean were settled in front of the TV with their beer, watching the baseball game and shouting at their opposing team. Dawnya was showing Kelsey how to fold the dinner napkins like little crowns and the girls were laughing up a storm as Kelsey told Dawnya her jokes. Outside, they could see that James, Mason, Jane and Rondo had split into two teams and were paying a game of basketball.

"You better watch out, Vanilla! We're gonna kick some booty! Ain't that right, James?" Rondo teased. Jane laughed as she and Mason continued to kick their opponent's butts.

"This is perfect." Maura said quietly. For someone who had never had this family interaction growing up, she was over the moon that these were the people, the ones who meant the most to her, that she gets to raise her children around. These kids were her whole life and Frankie was the man she knew without a doubt in the world that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She felt him tighten his arm around her waist.

"I love you Maura. And I love this." He said as he gestured to their family. This was where they belonged. With these people; with each other. They smiled at each other before being interrupted by Jane coming through the front door.

"Look who came by!" she exclaimed and Maura smiled with delight as her mother appeared behind Jane, carrying a potted plant.

"Mother!" Maura disentangled herself from Frankie to give her mother a hug.

"Darling, I heard you had moved and that you had some huge news to share with me? I hope it's ok that I just stop by?" she asked almost shyly. But for Maura, who had always longed for her mother to spend more time with her, shook her head.

"Of course it's ok! But how did you know I moved and had news…?" she asked, perplexed as she hugged her mother.

"Well Angela said-" she broke off as Angela made a squeak from the kitchen.

"Ma! Stop interfering!" Frankie and Jane scolded. Maura laughed and for once, didn't mind that Angela stepped in. Constance laughed as Angela greeted her with a hug as well.

"This is for you dear, a house warming gift for you." Constance held out the plant to Maura who immediately found a place for it.

"You must tell me what has happened? Why did you move and who's kids are these…?" Constance worried, just as every good mother should. Maura took a deep breath as she thought of where to start. Her mother still didn't even know about her and Frankie

But before she could answer, Angela saved her by announcing dinner.

"We made breakfast for dinner!" Emily announced proudly as she helped carry the plate of bunny pancakes. Ginny followed with a plate of bacon and sausage and Angela with warm scrambled eggs. "These ones are veggie sausage for you Mom." Ginny told Maura.

"Mom?" Constance thought. Since when did her daughter have a child? 'Or 5 children?' she thought to herself. She looked around to see so many faces she did not recognize. 'Who on earth dressed that man?' she eyed Rondo's suit.

"Mother, I have so much to explain." Maura noted Constance's hesitancy. Constance laughed nervously.

"Have I really missed so much? You are a mother…?" she asked her daughter, who immediately started breathing heavy.

"Well, that was more recent. Like within the last couple months." Jane helped her best friend out, knowing Maura was starting to panic that it dawned on her that her mother was here and she wasn't given at least a 72 hour notice to clean and have a 10 course meal prepared.

"Maybe we should start from the beginning? With introductions?" Angela suggested.

"Agreed, but first pass the bunny pancakes!" Frankie said. The men around the table nodded enthusiastically and it was silent while everyone helped themselves for the next 10 minutes.

"I've never had breakfast for dinner." Constance observed.

"I hope it's ok, Mother. I wasn't really expecting you or I certainly would've prepared for you." Maura said apologetically but her mother laughed it off.

"Darling, I dropped by without any notice so I have no complaints! I've actually always wanted to try breakfast for dinner." she confessed to Kelsey who giggled. "But, please, I am dying to know about these lovely kids!" she prompted conversation as Emily passed her the bowl of fruit, giving the older lady her best charming smile.

I'm Emily and I'm 4 years old." She said proudly. "And that's my sister Ginny, she's 6. James and Kelsey are 10. They're twins. And Mason is 12." She told Constance, her little fingers working hard to cut her pancakes at the same time she talked just like Frankie taught her. "And Mommy and Daddy adopted us." She ended, stuffing a huge bite of pancake in her mouth as if telling such news was an everyday task for her.

Constance opened her mouth but closed it and looked to Maura for an explanation. Frankie took Maura's hand in his, giving her a slight squeeze, encouraging her. His gesture did not go unnoticed by Constance.

"A couple months ago, my next door neighbor's house blew up. The blast exploded half of my home so the bomb squad was able to get out most of my possessions but I needed to find a new place to live. And these kids," Maura gestured to her children. "They were found in the shed in the back out of harm's way. And they had no parents and after a month and no one stepped forward to take them, Frankie and I decided to adopt them. They are ours now. And then we decided to find a new home big enough for all of us. So we bought this place and we've been slowly moving in, getting furniture and clothes and such for the kids, getting them enrolled in school. I've been working on and off but will soon be training my personal assistant to help Dr. Pike when he takes over so I can be a mother to these kids."

"What?"

"Pike is taking over?"

"Since when?"

You're going to train a personal assistant?"

The room exploded with questions at Maura's announcement. She turned who Frankie who nodded back at her. "Yes. I am going to be training a new assistant so that in 6 months I can leave for maternity leave and I want to be able to spend as much time with my kids as possible." She told them, her hand intertwined with Frankie resting over her belly.

"You're pregnant?"

"What?"

"Oh, Maura! Oh, Frankie!" Angela sobbed, the fact that she was going to have another grandbaby made her nearly cry again.

"Good job, man! Knocking up the Medical Examiner!" Frost congratulated Frankie and was immediately slapped upside the head by Sean. "Show some respect!" Korsak snorted in his napkin.

Maura grinned at everyone's surprise but looked to her mother and their eyes met. Constance was beyond proud of her daughter. Maura was stronger than she ever was and was able to put her kids before her job and Constance had never felt such pride for anything. She looked around at Maura's family. This circle of dysfunctional members were more of a family to her than she or her father had ever been. She was so grateful to Angela who Constance knew had stepped up and adopted Maura as one of her own so to speak. Jane and Frost were her best friends. Korsak and Sean were definitely fatherly figures in her life, how this "Rondo" man fit in, she wasn't sure but accepted him as part of the family none the less. And these kids… Maura and Frankie stood up and took them under their wings, opening their hearts and home to them. Which meant…

"I'm a grandmother!" she surprised everyone as she leapt to her feet, engulfing her daughter in her arms. Jane burst out laughing at Maura's shocked face as a flood of emotions overwhelmed her.

"Can we call you Grandma then?" Ginny asked. Since this woman was the mother of her mother, it only made sense…

Constance released Maura and knelt down in front of Ginny, holding the little girl in her arms. "You can call me whatever you want to, little one." She said softly, her heart racing as the thought of being a grandmother overwhelmed her.

"Now we have a Grandma Angela and a Grandma Constance!" Emily piped up from her seat next to Frankie, a big grin on her face.

"And a Grandpa Korsak and Grandpa Sean!" Ginny said.

"And Aunt Jane!" Kelsey added.

"And Uncle Frost and Uncle Rondo!" James grinned.

"Did you hear that, Vanilla? Uncle Rondo is in da house!" Rondo grinned, happy to be involved in their family. Jane groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Ok, then as 'Uncle', you get to take on babysitting duties." She fired back.

"I'm sorry, baby-what?" Rondo looked confused. The table burst out laughing at the look of confusion of the poor man's face.

"And the best part is, we have a Mom and Dad…" Mason added quietly. He got up and wrapped his arms around Frankie and Maura. "I love you Mom and Dad." He whispered in their ears. Frankie and Maura held their son in their arms and was soon joined by James, Kelsey, Emily and Ginny.

"And Dawnya!" Kelsey shrieked, making everyone jump. Kelsey didn't want to forget about her new friend who was oh so polite enough to show her how to fold napkins. Dawnya grinned and accepted a welcoming hug from the little girl.

"Speaking of Dawnya, I have an offer for you." Maura said mysteriously as she looked over at the young med student. The team had worked together to make sure she put that big brain of hers to good use so Dawnya was currently enrolled at BCU.

"How would you like to train to be my new personal assistant? I want you to work closely with Dr. Pike when I leave. You'll be able to get hands-on training and when you graduate you will have a stable and secure job. I would be more than willing to train you before I leave for my maternity leave. And I could even offer tutoring or such throughout your schooling and-"

She was cut off as the excited young woman jumped up and hugged her. "Oh my goodness! Yes! I would be so honored to learn under you!" Dawnya was almost moved to tears. Jane smiled at her best friend. She knew Dawnya was going far in life and this incredible job offer secured the young woman's future.

"But one thing still hasn't been discussed…" Constance stated as she finished off the last of her bunny pancake. "You two." She said her eyes sparkling as she looked at Maura and Frankie.

Even though everyone else at the table knew about their relationship, Maura blushed. She had never introduced a man to her mother or father. But Frankie was the most important person in her life and she was proud to show him off.

She took Frankie by the hand and kissed him softly. "Mother, this is my boyfriend, Frankie Rizzoli. He's Jane's brother and Angela's son. And he's the love of my life." She added softly, needing Frankie to understand how much she cared for him. But it was unnecessary; Frankie already knew.

"I love her too. More than anything." He assured Constance as he took pulled Maura into his lap. The happy couple kissed, sealing their love for each other. And it was here, in front of their friends, family and children that Frankie knew it was the perfect moment for this.

He gently stood up and switched places with Maura so she was sitting in front of him. And he knelt down on one knee as he pulled out a little velvet box.

Angela gasped and Jane poked her in the ribs to silence her.

"Maura Dorthea Isles. I am head over heels for you. I love you so much and these past years we've known each other, I've gotten to know you in the best ways. I know you. I've seen you at your best, at your worst, fought off all your other boyfriends, protected you from danger, comforted you when you were sad and I've been there to share happy moments. And we could have a lifetime of moments. I am crazy about you and I would be the happiest man alive if you would be my wife. Maura, will you marry me?" Frankie ended as he gazed up at his girlfriend with complete love and adoration. He slowly opened the box to produce the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. But she didn't care about the ring, only the man offering it. What he saw melted his heart. His gorgeous Maura had tears in her eyes, but they were happy tears. She was happy! And the fact that he put those tears of happiness there almost made him leap for joy. And if she said yes he'd sped the rest of his life making her happy just to see her look at him the way she was looking at him now.

Her eyes never left Frankie's as she slowly slipped her arms around his neck. She rested her forehead on his and kissed him fully on the mouth, pouring every ounce of passion, love and commitment in it that she could. She was ready to commit herself completely to this man and their children.

"Yes! Of course, yes! Frankie, I love you too!" she half whispered, half sobbed as he pulled her lips to his, their kiss melting the hearts of everyone in the room. The room exploded with claps, whistles, cheers and tons of hugging from everyone.

Angela, who had been on the verge of tears all evening finally broke down and sobbed as she pulled her kids in for a hug. "Ma! I can't do all this hugging!" Jane squirmed but Mama Rizzoli held fast. Maura was pulled into a tight embrace from Constance and was soon released only to find herself being hugged by Korsak.

"You'll walk me down the aisle?" she asked the seasoned Sergeant who was like a father to her. Korsak puffed out his chest, honored beyond words that Maura would ask him.

"It would be an honor." He said gruffly, hugging her tightly.

When everyone was done with their hugs, congratulations and kisses the family moved into the living room to finish off their evening. It had been a big evening for the family. So much changed and yet they would always be the same: they were a family. Everyone from Rondo to Constance, from James to Dawnya. They were family. Maura leaned back against the kitchen counter as she watched them all. The kids had pulled out a board game and she watched lovingly over her family. She would never get tired of hearing the sound of her children's laughter, the sight of her mother being "grandmotherly" with them, of Frankie being an amazing father. Her hand caressed her belly as she thought of the new life they would be welcoming into their family. She and Frankie were going to have their own child to add to their bunch. She was nervous and excited to be closing the door on one chapter of her life but opening the door to another. Her time as a medical examiner had come to an end and now she was beginning motherhood. Dawnya and Dr. Pike would do well together as Dawnya didn't take crap from anyone and she was a bright, fast-learning young student. And Maura was definitely going to put "Uncle Rondo" to work with babysitting, it would be a good way for him to earn some money…

Frankie came up behind her and slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, holding his fiancée tightly. "What are you thinking about, my love?" he asked quietly, planting kisses along her shoulder. Maura turned in his arms, holding him tightly.

She gazed up at him and whispered, "You know what, sweetheart? We're going to be just fine. All of us."

**The End.**


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